Library Board Member's Dismissal Over Homophobic Comments Upheld

DOWNERS GROVE, IL — A former Downers Grove library board member accused of making homophobic comments will remain banned from the board after an opinion was handed down from an appeals court. Arthur G. Jaros Jr. sought to file an injunction to prevent his removal from the board on the grounds that the village had overstepped its home rule powers by removing him.

On Dec. 29, DuPage County Judge Paul Fullerton denied this motion and asserted that the village "had not exceeded its home rule" when it dismissed Jaros from the board after homophobic comments he allegedly made during an August meeting about inclusion, according to Cook County Record.

The court's appellate panel backed Fullerton, saying they saw no indication of an “attempt by the village council to arrogate to itself a conferred executive power.”

Jaros had also asserted that, since the library board is independent from the village, the village board was not authorized to remove him from the library board. He contended that a voter referendum would be needed to decide his status on the board.

This argument was also denied by Fullerton, who cited the state Library Act, which does not prevent such a dismissal by the village.

Jaros was removed from his position as a member of the Downers Grove Library Board after he reportedly made homophobic comments during an August 23 board meeting, according to notes taken at the meeting by a member of the League of Women Voters. At the meeting, which promoted inclusion training for staff at the library, Jaros read from the Illinois School Code section which refers to marriage as between a man and a woman.

The notes also added that Jaros suggested students should be "protected by library staff from inclusion by ignoring its existence."

Before pursuing the injunction, Jaros slammed the notes taken at the meeting as "defamatory."

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