County commissioner committed ghost payroll at Harvey library, trustee alleges

A Harvey library trustee reported a paid consultant to county and state legal agencies alleging she processed a payment for a former administrator after the board fired them.

In May 2025, Chapelle Hooks sent a letter to the library board, Illinois State’s Attorney General’s Office, Cook County State’s Attorney, and Illinois Secretary of State, which oversees libraries statewide. In it, Hooks alleged that paid library consultant Kisha McCaskill, responsible for processing payments, continued to disburse funds to Carol Morris following Morris’ termination over alleged workplace harassment.

The library board hired Morris as an administrator in February 2025. It terminated her employment in April 2025.

“[…] Morris, a former employee who was officially terminated within her 90-day probationary period on April 15, 2025, continues to receive disbursements as if she were an active employee,” Hooks wrote in a letter dated May 16, 2025, obtained by the HWH.

“This constitutes a clear case of ghost payroll — the issuance of public funds to an individual who is no longer employed by the institution,” Hooks continued. She referenced McCaskill’s actions as a “deliberate disregard for official action” and “insubordination.” Read the full letter here.

“Chapelle. This is the absolute last time you cast negativity on my name. I’ll see you soon,” McCaskill wrote in a text message to Hooks hours after she emailed her letter, according to a screenshot Hooks provided to the HWH. 

McCaskill, who is also a county commissioner of the 5th district currently seeking re-election, did not respond to requests for comment for this story.

Five days after Hooks sent her complaint to legal officers, the board held a special meeting to discuss employment matters. McCaskill arrived with her assistant, and proceeded into executive session with the board. That’s where she threatened Hooks with litigation if she did not recant her statement, according to Hooks. 

Following the executive session, Hooks was axed from her board treasurer role. The board re-hired Morris as a full-time administrator the following month.

Hiring Morris

In 2023, the board terminated its executive director Xavier Menzies, who was later convicted of embezzling $770,000 from Markham Public Library. In 2024, he was sentenced to two years in federal prison. 

Longtime employee Kim Peake then served as interim director. But eventually, she was also fired. A flurry of additional terminations left the library without stable leadership, with contractors largely running the institution.

But soon, the board moved forward with making part-time and full-time hires in early 2025, for which Morris interviewed.

Then-trustees Keith Price and Tamika Price, and Charwana Morgan were absent. Morris possessed a “cheery attitude,” “the [exact] person we were looking for,” Hooks said. Morris, of South Holland, retired from the Illinois Department of Economic Security in 2023. For decades, she worked as a research supervisor and then public service administrator, according to records obtained by the HWH via public records request. 

Hooks, trustees Angelette Taylor, Felicia Powell-Johnson, and president Anthony McCaskill were present and unanimously voted yes.

Problems came quickly. Absent-mindedness. Openly swearing at employees. Those encompassed a slew of phone call complaints she received from patrons within one week of Morris’ start date, Hooks said. 

Former information technology director Sam Hentz filed a complaint against Morris, alleging workplace harassment. The board terminated him.

Hooks perused Kisha McCaskill’s personal Facebook page. She found multiple pictures of Morris hanging out with McCaskill at a Thornton Township Board of Trustees Labor Day Weekend Picnic in September 2023, confirmed by the HWH.

Morris did not respond to requests for comment for this story.

A quest for answers

Treasurers must sign checks. During her four-month tenure as board treasurer, Hooks sought ledgers and invoices to review prior to signing. That’s when gridlock occurred. Hooks requested invoices from McCaskill, who agreed. When Hooks arrived at the library to pick up documents, Morris objected, who said she needed permission from leadership. Hooks never received documentation and did not deliver a treasurer’s report during her tenure.

According to Hooks, McCaskill advised Morris to clean the library’s finance room and determine what might need to be thrown away. Morris locked Hooks out, to which she objected. “‘I gotta save my own ass,’” Morris replied.

The check Morris was issued was for the pay period of April 25 through May 5, 2025. Compensation was for an estimated 76 to 80 hours of time, according to a whistleblower allegation sent to the state attorney general’s office in July 2025.

On July 13, 2025, then-trustee Tamika Price submitted a public records request to Anthony McCaskill, who is both president and library records clerk. Price requested Morris’ offer and termination letters, her paystubs, a “breakdown of the year-to-date payment totaling $12,800,” employees’ paid time off accrual rate, and a six-month payroll registry at the library, according to a copy of the request obtained by the HWH via public records request to the state attorney general. Price filed a complaint to the state attorney general on July 31, 2025, after she did not receive a response.

In August 2025, Price received the letters and payroll registry. However, she requested additional intervention on September 17, 2025, because Price received neither Morris’ payment information nor the monthly PTO information. The next day, the board vacated Price’s seat. She has since filed a lawsuit, co-plaintiffs with Hooks. 

Price could not be reached by press time.

Affecting change

In her letter to legal agencies, Hooks requested a full audit of everyone receiving compensation from the library. But the prospects appear slim, she feels.

Hooks received a call from the Illinois Secretary of State, which indicated ghost payroll allegations were not in their purview. “You get a call back to satisfy you, but you’re not hearing anything back. There’s no progress,” Hooks complained. 

The Illinois Attorney General’s Office referred the HWH to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. In a statement, a spokesperson for the state’s attorney said that “the matter was referred to our office and is now closed. We are unable to provide further comment.”

Locals must research candidates and attend government meetings, as a lack of knowledge or engagement aids unethical behavior, said Hooks, disgusted with the pervasiveness of impropriety in Harvey politics. 

“You keep seeing the same faces. The same people [are] sitting on different boards at the same time,” Hooks groaned. “They ride around good, drive nice cars, traveling, doing everything. But our kids are stuck here. Our kids are stuck here in a community that’s dying.”