About 200 people packed into the Flossmoor Village Board meeting Tuesday, concerned by word a confidential 90-day job review of police Chief Jerel Jones could lead to his dismissal and the firing of Deputy Chief Keith Taylor.
During the 30-minute public comment period, residents questioned the basis for the potential dismissal of Jones and Taylor, who are both Black.
Mayor Michelle Nelson, village manager Bridget Wachtel and Jones did not speak about the matter at the meeting, but instead listened as the room became irate with unanswered questions during public comment.
An agenda item vaguely referencing employee matters to be discussed in closed session led some to believe the Village Board would discuss Jones’ status Monday, but the item was removed before the meeting, leading to more confusion.
“When these decisions are made in the dark, those of us who are not privy to those decisions are forced to rely on rumor,” said Flossmoor resident Kevin Dorsey before the board in reference to the two Black police leaders.
Dorsey described to Nelson the rumor he heard that Jones had allegedly failed to “safely facilitate the operations of Flossmoor.” He asked each of the board members to raise their hand if they felt this way about Jones, which they declined.
Dorsey gestured to the dozens of law enforcement officers in full uniform from around the south suburbs who came to support Jones and Taylor and the hundreds of plain clothes citizens who packed the chamber as evidence Jones was doing a fine job.
As more residents stepped up to the podium, more reasons were given why Jones should stay on. He has had less than a year in the job and left Macomb in March to come to Flossmoor, so he should be given more time, several residents said.
Jones is the first Black police chief Flossmoor has had in its more than 100-year history, residents said, despite more than 60% of the population being Black, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Residents focused on Wachtel as the person behind the potential ousting of Jones and Taylor.
“If we get rid of two Black men, this is a public lynching,” said resident Tracy Skinner.
Village policy allows for only 30 minutes of public comment, Nelson said. So after five people spoke, she called to end the public comment. As she did, a man named Percy Scott stood in the back waving his arm and asking to add another comment.
“You are out of line and as a husband of a trustee you know you are out of line,” Nelson said.
“Mayor, pointing out the relationship he has with a trustee is inappropriate,” said Trustee Rosalind Mustafa. Scott is married to Trustee Joni Bradley-Scott.
“You’re out of line, thank you so much,” said Nelson as she continued to call for the vote to end public comment.
With that, murmurs around the room began to build and drown out the board. When Nelson ordered police officers to escort Scott from of the room, residents began to stand and head for the door in protest.
The meeting continued while the residents filed out, occasionally pausing as Scott and others continued to call out Nelson for mistreatment.
At the end of the meeting as the board was prepared to adjourn, Mustafa moved to go into a closed session and have more discussion on personnel.
The three Black trustees voted in favor of going to closed session, and the three white trustees voted against. Nelson, who is also white, provided the tie-breaking vote against continued discussion.
The vote triggered commentary from Scott, who now sat in the front row.
“That’s a shame on all of you,” Scott said. “Silence is loud.”
In the back of the room, clapping at times to express support for Jones, was Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, who said she wanted to understand the reason for the potential removal of the officers.
“One would think if you lost your position after less than a year there would be some big event,” Foxx said. “In the absence of that, you just have people trying to figure out what’s happening.”
Neither Nelson or Jones took questions Monday on what happened, and were both out of the office when the Daily Southtown called them Tuesday.
hsanders@chicagotribune.com
