JOHNSTON CITY —Now here’s something you don’t see every day.
You’re all probably aware of the water department debacles that have hit towns in southern Illinois…such as Linda Heyde in Marion, or what’s going on with Harrisburg’s audit, or even the gal in Carrier Mills that took up with a Juggalo…she was employed by the city’s water department.
Well apparently they had one in Johnston City (in Williamson County) in late 2012, wherein a long-time (March of 2000 to last December) water department office supervisor, Jayne Stallings, was suspended without pay in October on a “suspicion and possible evidence of money missing from the water/sewer department.” Then on December 18, she was terminated.
However, no charges were ever filed.
So, Stallings herself filed suit on May 1 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois in Benton.
In the suit, she’s claiming wrongful termination, malicious conduct on the part of JC mayor Jim Mitchell and former city water alderman Greg Yelencich, and denial of due process during the final months of her employment (when she was on leave) before her termination. On the latter point, she claimed that she wasn’t allowed a hearing in order to defend herself against the allegations, and that Mitchell and Yelencich “made public statements that she had committed criminal acts in her job that were false and also defamatory.”
Interesting turn of events, considering everyone who is either charged or comes under scrutiny; who knows, maybe this will set a precedent regarding those who “find money missing” from a department or account, but no charges are ever filed; instead, someone is just ‘let go’ and everybody believes the problem is solved. Will it lead to more such federal suits?