Keith Freeman, the top aide to Thornton Township Supervisor and Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard, was fired from the township earlier this month, records obtained from the township show. He is still on the payroll as administrator for the village of Dolton.
Thornton Township records indicate Freeman was notified of his immediate dismissal July 9 due to poor attendance. He was reportedly warned about his “failure to consistently show up to work” without notifying his supervisor.
“Due to the high-ranking position that you hold within the township, this type of misconduct cannot be tolerated,” the Human Resources Department wrote in its email notifying Freeman he had been fired. “Your misconduct is a detriment to the smooth functioning of the township’s operations.”
Freeman was issued a written warning June 13 for repeated absences requesting “better communications of your whereabouts and more time spent at the township,” according to township records. The township also provided his timecard that shows 46 hours worked in the entire month of June, including several weeks of him working almost no hours.
Email records show Freeman requested a leave of absence June 21 to provide care for an ill family member, but did not submit paperwork by the July 6 deadline provided by the township’s human resources manager.
Freeman’s firing comes as Henyard herself is under federal scrutiny, with investigators questioning people both inside and outside of the village. Multiple lawsuits have been filed against Freeman as well as Henyard, including for unlawful retaliation against employees who claim they were terminated from Dolton and Thornton Township for not supporting Henyard.
In April, Freeman was charged with bankruptcy fraud for making false statements in his bankruptcy petition filed earlier this year to conceal his assets and sources of income, according to a federal indictment.
Henyard’s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment on Freeman’s employment status.
The Thornton Township Board, which is supposed to approve dismissals of township officials like Freeman, has not been officially notified of Freeman’s termination, according to Trustee Chris Gonzalez. Gonzalez said it is also unclear who has taken on Freeman’s role, though Keith Price, who manages the village food pantry, appears to be completing some administrative duties.
“A promotion, if that’s what it would be, and I haven’t seen anything,” Gonzalez said. “That should also come through the board.”
Dolton Clerk Alison Key confirmed Monday that Freeman still works as administrator under Henyard in Dolton.
However, Dolton Trustee Jason House said he believes Freeman and Henyard are no longer on good terms, which may have contributed to Freeman’s dismissal in Thornton Township and may jeopardize his job in Dolton as well.
“There’s clearly a split between he and the mayor’s office,” House said. “Ironically, in the past few weeks, we started to be much more following the ordinances the way they were intended.”
House said he and other trustees have been disappointed with Freeman’s decisions as village administrator.
Freeman has been Dolton village administrator since January 2022 and was hired in Thornton Township two months later. Freeman did not respond to requests for comment.
ostevens@chicagotribune.com