Melee befalls Thornton Township meeting after speaker directs profane language at supervisor

Warning: This report includes language and images that may be considered derogatory and/or alarming to readers and viewers.

A brawl marked the end of Thornton Township’s board meeting Tuesday just moments after one person directed profane language toward the supervisor during public comment.

Pastor and Chicago native Jedidah Brown used controversial language toward Supervisor Tiffany Henyard during his public comment in an attempt to defend newly minted trustee Stephanie Wiedeman.

Brown criticized Henyard’s career, including business ventures, mayoral tenure in Dolton, education credentials, and a report into Dolton’s spending, delivered the night prior. He also targeted Henyard’s motherhood and daughter and marital status. 

Statements included:

• “[…] [Wiedeman] went to help her daughter, but I done heard about four or five people tell me how they had to take care of yours.”
• “On top of that, [Wiedeman’s] a chief of staff and didn’t f— her way to the top,” he said.
• “I think on behalf of the Black cookout association, that we would rather take a vote, that we gon’ exchange ‘yo Black a— for Stephanie to be the new member of our—,” before cutting himself off.
• “You gone, b—.”

While some were giddy, a few attendees expressed audible discomfort with a portion of Brown’s statements.

When he left the podium, walking toward the back of the room, a verbal exchange ensued between Brown and Kamal Woods, Henyard’s partner. Moments later, Henyard stood up from her seat, pushing the table forward. 

A brawl erupted between Brown, Woods, LaVelle Redmond, and Demarkkus Quiggley. Henyard ran toward it. She threw several punches before Temika Henyard, her cousin and senior services employee, intervened and physically removed the supervisor from the brawl.

At least one South Holland Police Department officer attempted to intervene. Two security officers tried to break up the fight, with one seen trying to physically restrain Redmond. Supervisor candidate for the April election Nate Fields also tried to cease the violence. 

After the brawling ended, a young boy was seen crying. The board did not officially adjourn the meeting. Police ordered attendees to exit the premises. Brown’s remarks have sparked debate as to whether or not he instigated the melee. 

Henyard released a statement through her attorney Wednesday afternoon, ABC7 Chicago reported. “All legal options will be pursued,” according to the statement. Brown has received an order of protection against Henyard and Woods, according to his Facebook page.

Prior to Brown’s statements

The build up to Brown’s utterances included him approaching, sitting next and speaking to, township employees in the back of the room, including food pantry manager Keith Price and Temika Henyard. It’s unclear what Brown said to them. As a result, Brown was momentarily late to the podium when his name was called for comment. 

That wasn’t the first time Brown approached township employees or stood in-between them and speakers at a meeting.

At a special meeting at the South Holland Public Library earlier this month, Brown stood next to a woman during her public comment, as she argued with Henyard allies Quiggley and William Moore. After the meeting’s end, as Quiggley and Moore were walking toward the doorway, Brown approached them and engaged in verbal confrontation.

Moore and Woods, employed by the township, were placed on paid administrative leave effectively immediately, earlier that night.

Behavior

Tuesday’s fracas is the culmination of years of political discord. At recent township meetings, outbursts are expected, profanity is accepted, and attendees yell over one another.

“At the last meeting, we had a young lady who got up here, who had not even signed up to speak, and she used a lot of profanity,” Janelle Taylor said during public comment, just before Brown spoke. “There were at least two children in the audience.” Henyard was smiling “like it was cute,” Taylor said. 

Henyard’s head was not hung low during those comments, Taylor said, as it was on Tuesday.

Police response

After the brawl, a crowd gathered on the east wing of the building, demanding police officers make arrests. South Holland police did not make arrests, saying those involved already left the premises.

Brown later appeared outside the building’s east wing with the crowd. Trustees Chris Gonzalez and Wiedeman, who at some point made her way to the back of the room and was seen being restrained from behind by a man, exited the building together.