Dolton, Ill. (ECWd) –
On May 23, 2025, Tiffany Henyard was found in Contempt of Court and ordered to appear on May 30, 2025, at 10:30 am. If she fails to appear, a body attachment shall issue.
Compliance with the Freedom of Information Act is always the preferred method, but this will work also.
From the Court’s Order:
- Found that on March 5, 2025, the Court granted Plaintiff’s Motion to Compel, ordering the Village, and its mayor to produce records responsive to Plaintiff’s “Second January 5, 2024 request” and finding that the records, if any, are in the possession or control of Mayor Henyard;
- Found that the March 5, 2025 Order found, inter alia, that Mayor Henyard had refused to respond to emails dated September 4, 2024, October 30, 2024 and November 19, 2024 from Counsel for the Village seeking records responsive to the request and Ordered Mayor Tiffany Henyard to search for all records that are responsive to Plaintiff’s Second January 5, 2024 request and produce the same by or before March 19, 2025 or, if such search does not result in the discovery of any responsive records, she was to identify the steps taken to search for responsive documents, including all recordkeeping systems that were searched, how they were searched, and any and all specific Village personnel that were consulted and/or participated in the search;
- Found that Mayor Henyard failed to produce the requisite documents; failed to identify the steps undertaken to search for the requisite documents – or identify if any search had occurred; failed to contact Plaintiff’s Counsel or Counsel for the Village by or before the March 19, 2025 Deadline or at any time since, per the Court’s April 17, 2025 Order;
- Found that, as a result of Mayor Henyard’s repeated failure to adhere to her obligations under FOIA or adhere to the Court’s Order, Plaintiff was permitted to file, and did file, its Verified Petition For Rule To Show Cause And For Indirect Civil Contempt For Violation Of The Court’s March 5, 2025 Order And Other Relief, which was granted on May 7, 2025, and that Mayor Benyard was ordered to appear before the Court in person on May 23, 2025 at 9 A.M.;
- Found that Mayor Henyard failed to appear for this Rule to Show Cause Hearing, as Ordered by the Court’s May 7, 2025 Order;
- Found that Tiffany Henyard is in Contempt Of Court for her repeated and flagrant violations of the Court’s Orders, including its March 5, 2025 Order and its May 7, 2025 Order;
- Ordered that Tiffany Henyard must produce records responsive to Plaintiff’s “Second January 5, 2024 request” to Plaintiff’s Counsel by or before May 27, 2025 at 5 p.m. Central Standard Time;
- Ordered that if Tiffany Henyard fails to produce records responsive to Plaintiff’s “Second January 5, 2024 request” to Plaintiff’s Counsel by or before May 27, 2025 at 5 p.m. Central Standard Time she shall be fined not less than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) per day, to be paid to the Clerk of the Court;
- Ordered that this Matter is continued for a hearing on the Status of Tiffany Henyard’s compliance on May 30, 2025 at 10:30 a.m. with Mayor Henyard to appear in person and for others via Zoom (Meeting ID: 952 6244 1199; Password: 541722); and
- It Is Further Ordered that if Tiffany Henyard fails to comply with this Order or fails to appear for the May 30, 2025 Hearing, a body attachment shall issue.
