Months after Calumet City aldermen tried to dismiss a lawsuit brought against clerk Nyota Figgs, a Cook County judge ruled that contrary to Mayor Thaddeus Jones’ belief, Figgs did not illegally shred city records in 2021.
“In fact, the evidence points to the opposite conclusion,” Judge Joel Chupack wrote in the ruling filed Tuesday. “The evidence is woefully insufficient that the shred was done without approval from the mayor.”
Chupack’s ruling stated the city also failed to provide evidence to support other claims that Figgs interfered with a city audit and was wrong in cutting the cable to a security camera placed in her office.
Chupack denied all of the city’s requests, which included declarations that Figgs lacks “independent authority” to destroy public records and the authority to interfere with financial audits, a permanent injunction to prevent Figgs from disposing of records in the future and damages for destroying the security camera.
He also terminated a preliminary injunction order entered in November 2021 that required a court order for Figgs to destroy more city records. The trial in the case was held intermittently, with Figgs testifying in May
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and closing arguments made last month.Figgs said she is grateful for Chupack’s ruling but is pessimistic Jones will stop “bullying” her. Jones and Figgs previously engaged in a romantic relationship and independently won reelection to their seats this year in a race characterized by political divisions and personal attacks.
“He will never stop bothering me,” Figgs said. “He is obsessed.”
In December, the Calumet City City Council met on the steps of City Hall to dismiss the lawsuit but were unable to garner enough votes to override Jones’ veto of the decision.
Figgs said she believes the records destruction came in reaction to her own lawsuit brought against the city and Jones that was continued on Wednesday. Cook County Judge Sophia H. Hall previously dismissed five of the seven counts brought, such as sex discrimination, violation of free speech and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Hall chose not to dismiss Figgs’ claims that Jones made it impossible for the clerk to perform her duties after requiring her staff report to him and hiring employees to interfere with those duties.
In a news release Friday, Jones failed to mention the judge’s dismissal of the records destruction case but said attorneys on both sides had reached a settlement agreement that included Figgs agreeing not to destroy any documents without Jones’ approval, not to further damage city equipment and to cooperate with any audits by providing all requested documents and not deleting any financial information.
“While her function is administrative in nature, it is imperative that the clerk act as a crucial connection and means of communication between the city government and its inhabitants,” Jones said.
“My only expectation of the Clerk is to ensure effective and efficient management of city information, providing a transparent and oriented administration. The last four years was anything but the fulfilment of those expectations.”
Figgs contradicted the statement, saying she had been working with the city to settle both cases but no agreement was finalized.
“I would never to agree to say I won’t destroy records anymore, because I did not illegally destroy records,” Figgs said.