Harvey library trustee files another lawsuit over alleged ADA violations

The Harvey Public Library District has yet another lawsuit in their hands — this time filed by trustee Charwana Morgan, who has frequently been denied virtual access to board meetings.

Co-defendants board president Anthony McCaskill, his daughter and secretary Amari McCaskill, and trustees Felicia Powell-Johnson and Angelette Taylor were served at the board’s special meeting on Dec. 16, 2025.

In the lawsuit, filed on Dec. 9, 2025, Morgan alleges that the board has blocked her from attending meetings virtually because of her disabilities, citing violations to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Illinois Open Meetings Act. 

The lawsuit details Morgan’s acute asthma condition where exposure to airborne impurities such as dust, mold, and smoke can trigger severe asthma attacks that result in hospitalization. Morgan is required to use an at-home nebulizing device and avoid leaving her home more than necessary to reduce exposure, according to the suit, which hinders her ability to attend meetings in-person.

In spring 2025, Morgan previously filed a similar lawsuit, naming all board members as co-defendants. However, this new suit excludes trustee Chapelle Hooks and Tamika Price, booted from her board seat in September 2025, as co-defendants. 

The court papers include screenshots of emails she sent to board president McCaskill prior to meetings requesting remote participation and lists rejections — most often because the board did not vote in favor.

Morgan, who is represented by the Chicago Volunteer Legal Services, is seeking a permanent injunction that allows her to attend all future board meetings remotely. This order requires the board to obtain the technology needed for remote meetings, ADA training for the board from an accredited third party, damages to be proven at trial, attorney fees, and for the court to find that her requested accommodations are “reasonable and does not require fundamental alterations.”

Morgan is not the only trustee suing the library board. In October 2025, former trustee Tamika Price and current trustee Chapelle Hooks also filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction after trustees voted to vacate Price’s seat over claims she does not reside within Harvey. Del Galdo Law Group, which serves as corporation counsel for the Harvey Park District – run by the McCaskill family – conducted the investigation into Price.

Price was sitting at the board table during the special meeting. When she tried to speak, president McCaskill told her twice that she was “trespassing.” “The third [warning] will be calling the sheriff to have you removed,” McCaskill said.

When asked about the board’s vote to vacate her seat, Price responded, “They don’t have the authority to remove me.”

Official business

The board unanimously approved its 2026 tax levy of $1,735,072, marking the library district’s fourth year without any tax increases, confirmed by county records. 

The board accepted a proposal from the accounting firm Wermer, Rogers, Doran, and Ruzon to conduct the library district’s audit. Hooks was the only trustee to vote it down and claimed she could not view the proposal because the file would not open due to “security reasons.” For over six months, Hooks has been unable to open meeting packets and other files sent to her  through email from board leadership. In June 2025, President McCaskill advised her to seek guidance from then-information technology director Sam Hentz, then fired him moments later.

The November 2025 bills list was also approved, but president McCaskill did not disclose the amount. During public comment, Price said that also happened the prior month. “[The balance] doesn’t equate to the amount of money that’s going out for the bills, but we don’t know exactly what the bills are,” Price said.