Joliet Junior College Board trustee says comments on US Capitol violence were taken out of context

A member of the Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees said her comments regarding the violence at the U.S. Capitol building last week on Facebook were taken out of context by individuals calling for her removal.

Maureen Broderick, a New Lenox resident who serves as the vice-chair of the board, faced over a dozen public comments decrying her statements on social media.

During a board meeting on Monday, chairman Robert Wunderlich read the comments submitted by members of the public admonishing Broderick. Pictures of her comments had been circulating on Facebook over the last few days.

One photo shows a comment in which she said, “And turmoil to hit on 1/20/21....be prepared you Biden supporters,” a reference to the day President-elect Joe Biden is to be inaugurated.

Some of the commenters appeared to interpret the comment as a warning of further violence, but Broderick said they took her words out of context. She said she meant that she did not want any further violence.

When asked on Facebook if she was OK with the violence, Broderick replied that she has a son-in-law who works as a Capitol police officer.

She also blamed leftist groups and the Black Lives Matter movement for the insurrection in her comments without citing evidence.

“There’s more to come out!” Broderick wrote. “Buses of antifa & blm were brought in and escorted by the police hmmm.”

Several of the public commenters accused Broderick of spreading “lies and disinformation” and some even demanded she be removed from the board or resign.

After public comments criticizing Broderick were read, she defended herself and said her posts were misconstrued. She said she never condoned the violence and that she was concerned about her son-in-law who was defending the Capitol building.

“My son-in-law was on the front lines and in danger,” Broderick said during Monday’s meeting. “What was on Facebook, has been misinterpreted. I am very upset at what happened in the Capitol.”

Broderick told The Herald-News she was “absolutely scared” for her son-in-law when she made the comments on Facebook and again argued others were taking her words out of context.

“It was totally taken the wrong way,” she said. “I did not support anything that was going on (at the Capitol).”

When asked about whether she believed that leftist groups were the ones responsible for the violence instead of supporters of President Donald Trump, Broderick equivocated.

“I really don’t know because there is so much going on,” she said. “I don’t know what the truth is.”

Broderick added that she does not intend to step down and will run to retain a seat on the board in the April election.

In a tweet responding to criticisms of Broderick’s comments, Joliet Junior College said her “opinions do not reflect those of JJC. Our diverse community is built on mutual respect and inclusion. We do not tolerate violence or injustice, and support respectful dialogue and exchange of ideas to ensure accessibility for all.”

The original purpose of Monday’s meeting was to convene an electoral board to consider objections to the petitions filed by Broderick and fellow Trustee Betty Washington to run for election to the JJC Board.

Wunderlich said the JJC Board can’t take any further action on the issue regarding Broderick’s comments.

“We can’t do anything,” he said.

The college’s electoral board will meet Jan. 21 to hear the objections to Broderick’s and Washington’s petitions.