NEWTON, IL. (ECWd) –
During at least the last two Jasper County School Board meetings, their attorney, Anthony Loizzi, from Hodges Loizzi Eisenhammer Rodick & Kohn LLP, displayed a disrespectful, interruptive, and disruptive attitude towards School Board member Earnest and in some cases, towards citizens attending the meeting.
There is apparently a collusive effort to shut down board member Earnest at every turn, with interruptions, snide comments towards him, and the general attitude displayed by this attorney and the school superintendent.
At the beginning of this video, you can clearly see Attorney Loizzi shake his head “no” in an attempt at convincing the board chairman to disallow Earnest from commenting during the public comment period. This attitude continued with Loizzi interrupting him, and even at one point summoning a Police Officer into the room as a clear intimidation tactic against citizens.
What this attorney needs to understand, is that he does not run the meeting, he does not get to say when public comment is over, and he does not get to direct any police officer to do anything. We also suggest that the Newton Police and Jasper County Sheriff’s Departments review their policy on public meetings of public bodies to ensure that their officers only act on the motion of the board chairman – which is the only person who can state a claim of disruptions. He runs the meeting as law outlines. Period.
Below is merely an example of this attorney’s interruptions and attitude:
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3 Comments
Blake
Posted at 20:14h, 27 MarchIs there any process for reporting lawyers like this to the bar association or to the attorney general for conduct unbecoming an attorney or possibly criminal conduct? From watching several of these meetings in different counties this seems to be part of a playbook for boards with things to hide. It seems to go something like this. Use any means necessary to restrict the publics ability to comment, and then to bring in a disruptive legal firm to antagonize and patronize the public and any board member who isn’t following the party line.
Jannie
Posted at 15:50h, 17 FebruaryThey may have a clue about the open Meetings Act, but they just don’t like it and want to do what they want. I agree that the attorney was probably trying to make a confindation so he could discredit the speaker.
Dave
Posted at 10:47h, 17 FebruarySounds like he was trying to make people angry so they would do something he could discredit them with. It just amazes me how many board attorneys the dogs have come across that don’t seem to have a clue about the open meetings act