An Alsip mayor assistant claimed in a lawsuit that officials retaliated against her after she pointed out alleged overcharging by a vendor with ties to the village hall.
In the lawsuit filed last week in Cook County Circuit Court, Catherine Wojnarowski alleges the vendor was friends with several village employees and was potentially overcharging for services. The lawsuit claims Alsip employees and officials violated the Illinois Whistleblower Protection Act by harassing and retaliating against Wojnarowski.
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Wojnarowski also alleges her contract was breached when village officials reduced her floating holiday hours, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit names Alsip Finance Director Kent Oliven, human resource manager Kathy Franson, as well as village trustees Lynn Dwyer, Richard Dalzell, Shelia McGreal, John Ryan and Kevin Michaels.
“We don’t believe there is merit to (the lawsuit) and we believe that the village and all the defendants will be vindicated if litigated,” said Todd Hayden, attorney for the village.
According to the lawsuit, the vendor was good friends with” trustee Dwyer and two other village employees who are not named as plaintiffs.
Wojnarowski reported her concerns in June 2015 about a newspaper vendor allegedly overcharging the village, according to the lawsuit.
By November 2015, the village had ended its relationship with the vendor that Wojnarowski complained about for suspected misconduct, according to the lawsuit.
Also that month, a village staffer complained to Wojnarowski she masterminded complaints against him, according to the lawsuit.
Reporting the vendor and issues over the staffer’s alleged complaints kicked off ongoing harassment and retaliation by the defendants against Wojnarowski that has not halted, said her attorney Dana Kurtz.
In May 2016, two trustees discussed docking Wojnarowski’s pay or floating holidays after she advocated for an inspector general be created in the village to “investigate employee complaints of misconduct, harassment, wrongdoing, corruption, and unlawful conduct,” the lawsuit states. By August 2016, her floating holiday hours had been significantly reduced, according to the lawsuit.
During a June board meeting that year, Wojnarowski read a public statement accusing the board of “violating the law and engaging in retaliatory behavior by their attempts to breach her employment agreement,” according to the lawsuit.
Oliven allegedly sent an email on June 8, 2016 to village trustees, the Human Resources and Payroll department and the village’s attorney seeking to removing Wojnarowski floating holidays, contradicting an order from mayor on June 7 not to touch her benefits, according to the lawsuit.
“(Wojnarowski) has caregiving obligations for a child and relied upon that agreement in taking this job,” Kurtz said.
According to the lawsuit, Mayor Patrick Kitching allegedly filed a claim last May with the Cook County Inspector General’s Office on Wojnarowski’s behalf. She then filed another complaint to Cook County’s IG office in December.
Kurtz said they have not received any information about whether Cook County is investigating.
Instead, Wojnarowski has been subject to a “confidential investigation” by members of the village board since last December, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages, lost wages, reinstatement of her position and punitive damages against the defendants.
Nick Swedberg is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.