Calumet City Clerk Nyota Figgs is seeking damages after the dismissal of a lawsuit accusing her of illegally destroying city documents in 2021.
She’s accusing Mayor Thaddeus Jones and attorneys representing Calumet City of civil conspiracy, malicious prosecution and abuse of process for their handling of the document destruction lawsuit, according to a new lawsuit her attorneys filed Tuesday.
While the city eventually reimbursed Figgs for attorneys fees, attorney Edward Moor of Moor Law Office says the clerk is entitled to damages for suffering over four years, as the document destruction lawsuit filed in October 2021 dragged on. Moor is also representing Calumet City’s 2nd Ward Ald. Monet Wilson in ongoing litigation against Jones for slanderous political messaging.
“This was a very traumatic period of time for her,” Moor said Thursday. “She’s an elected city official, and the mayor took actions to basically cut her out of office.”
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The lawsuit alleges that shortly before suing her, Jones stripped Figgs of her duties and hired someone else to take over much of her work, despite protests from city aldermen. Figgs has sought an injunction to prevent more of her duties from being taken away, which is pending.
Figgs and Jones began a romantic relationship in 2005 that Figgs ended in 2013, according to the lawsuit. The mayor allegedly proposed to resume the relationship in 2021, which Figgs rejected, and he continued to make advances until late that year.
“Defendants used the machinery of the Circuit Court, an injunction, and the public treasury to retaliate, punish, discredit, and drive from office a political and personal adversary,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit alleges Jones, who is also a state representative, conspired with attorneys from Ancel Glink and attorney Michael Kasper of Kasper, Holmes and Dring law firm toward the “groundless legal action” brought against Figgs. It also alleges Jones and attorneys abused the legal process, using the court system to publicly discredit Figgs and coerce her into dropping a sexual harassment lawsuit she had previously filed.
Through his spokesperson Sean Howard, Jones on Thursday said “every allegation of this lawsuit is false, baseless, and without merit,” refusing to comment further.
Figgs is seeking damages in excess of $50,000, according to the lawsuit.
“Figgs is really an incredible woman, and she’s hung in there through all this harassment and retaliation to do her job for the people of the city of Calumet City, which she loves,” Moor said, adding he hopes the lawsuit’s result “compensates her for what she went through.”
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