Joliet Junior College board approves no-confidence vote against trustee

The Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees approved a resolution declaring that it has lost confidence in a trustee who’s accused of violating the board’s code of conduct.

Trustee Michelle Lee was absent Wednesday when the resolution against her was passed in a 6-1 vote. Trustee Maureen Broderick was the lone vote against a resolution, which she considered “harassment.”

“This is a legal issue. You are now opening up a legal can of worms,” Broderick said.

The resolution said Lee was censured by the board at an Aug. 20 meeting for “making disparaging comments” about JJC President Clyne Namuo to “cabinet members” and “yelling at and rudely demanding” actions from a board assistant.

The resolution said the board has been subjected to “repeated, egregious and further violations” of the code of conduct from Lee.

“[Lee’s actions] have damaged and hindered this board’s ability to fulfill its duties to the college and its constituents, [and] the board wishes to express its loss of confidence in [Lee] to faithfully, cooperatively, responsibly, respectfully and in a spirit of harmony serve as a trustee of the college,” according to the resolution.

At the Aug. 20 meeting, Lee said the censure against her was a violation of due process.

“I am not clear on the allegations, as they are ambiguous and do not rise to conform with due process. There has been no evidence presented to support the allegations. Everything presented is hearsay until proven,” Lee said.

Lee gave a speech during the Aug. 20 meeting, and when her time to speak expired, she continued talking.

At one point, board Chairman James Budzinski slammed his gavel, telling Lee she was out of order. Yet Lee raised her voice while continuing her speech.

“Stop, stop. If they’re going to be ethical trustees, they’ll vote no,” Broderick told Lee.

Toward the end of the Aug. 20 meeting, Budzinski said the college retained an “independent firm to investigate employee grievances against members of this board.”

Broderick and Lee have an ongoing lawsuit against the college that alleges past censure votes against Broderick violated the Illinois Open Meetings Act.

Broderick, Lee and former JJC Trustee Robert Wunderlich also have a pending lawsuit against the college that alleged Wunderlich should have been named a trustee when the board initially approved his appointment last year.