Burr Ridge Officials Debate Diversity In Testy Emails

BURR RIDGE, IL — A Burr Ridge trustee questioned Wednesday whether the village government was truly an equal opportunity employer, saying it, instead, seemed like a "good old boys club."

The mayor responded by giving examples of how the village has promoted diversity.

On Wednesday, Trustee Zach Mottl emailed Mayor Gary Grasso and asked him to confirm whether the village was an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

He also requested the village's report to the federal government indicating the gender and racial breakdowns of the staff. But the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission website indicates the report is only required of government entities with at least 100 employees. Burr Ridge has fewer.

"It seems to me that there are few, if any, women or minorities employed in top positions in the village," Mottl said. "I feel like the village is a good old boys club and that you like to keep it that way. Is that true? If not, how can you prove it?"

In response, Grasso said Burr Ridge officials are committed to diversity in the village and on the staff. He noted that Burr Ridge has fewer than 100 employees.

"As a Trustee since 2017, I understand this is the first time you have requested such information, so I do not see a basis for your statement that you need this information to do your job," the mayor said. "Of course, this an election year for you. As a responsible trustee, you should know most of what you asked by now."

Grasso said that when he became mayor in 2005, he appointed Dwight DeClouette, a telecommunications executive, as a trustee. He was the first African American to serve on the Village Board.

"Our staff and police include an AA (affirmative action) officer, several Latina and Asian employees, and of course many women," Grasso said.

The mayor said Burr Ridge Police Chief John Madden was one of four chiefs that started a pilot program with the Rev. Clyde Brooks and the Illinois Commission on Diversity and Human Relations to find qualified minority applicants to join the local department and others.

In a Patch interview in December, Brooks, an area civil rights leader, named Burr Ridge as one of a few suburban police departments that were deemed "friendly to people of color."

"Burr Ridge police are working with us to encourage more African Americans to apply to become members of this great police force. Chief Madden is out on the front lines and works with groups like the commission, quietly but in partnership," Brooks said at the time.

Mottl has locked horns with Grasso and other trustees for more than a year. Grasso defeated Mottl in the April 2019 mayor election. Since then, the board has censured Mottl four times.

At the end of his email, Grasso wrote Mottl, "The Board has voted unanimously requesting your resignation after your Fourth Censure. Please submit it promptly."

According to the U.S. Census, Burr Ridge is 1.4 percent African American, 4.1 percent Hispanic and 16.1 percent Asian.