Ex-Councilman McFarland Files Defamation Suit Vs. Mayor O'Dekirk

JOLIET, IL — Former Joliet City Councilman James "Jim" McFarland filed a defamation lawsuit Thursday against the City of Joliet, Mayor Bob O'Dekirk and Joliet's inspector general, Westmont lawyer Sean Connolly. A resident of Frankfort, McFarland retained Plainfield attorney John Schrock to file the lawsuit at Will County's Courthouse, seeking a civil judgment of more than $50,000.

The Joliet inspector general's report, called Allegations of Intimidation of Donald Dickinson by Mayor Robert O'Dekirk, is posted on the top of Joliet's website. Connolly also talked about McFarland earlier this month during a special Joliet City Council meeting.

When contacted for his reaction to McFarland's lawsuit, O'Dekirk remarked that "McFarland's role in this is well-documented in the (Illinois) State Police reports. He is not going to be able to lie his way out of this ... Neither myself nor the I.G. have anything to do with the creation of those reports or the allegations in them."

Connolly noted that "McFarland resigned as a Councilman (in) September 2016; at the time of his resignation, there were allegations he engaged in unethical behavior. Additionally, it is important to note, McFarland and Mayor O'Dekirk are at odds; according to (Councilman Pat) Mudron, McFarland and Mayor O'Dekirk had a falling out several years ago."

Connolly's March 1 report recommended "the Joliet City Council publicly condemn James McFarland's role in this conspiracy."

Connolly wrote that McFarland attended the Nov. 1, 2020 meeting at then-Joliet Police Chief Al Roechner's house and "the purpose of this meeting was to conspire to falsely accuse Joliet Mayor Robert O'Dekirk with intimidation of Donald Dickinson.

"James McFarland lied about being told by (someone) that a female had sent a picture of Donald Dickinson's genital area to Joseph Clement, who then sent the picture to Mayor O'Dekirk," Connolly concluded.

In Thursday's lawsuit, McFarland argues that Connolly did not have the power to investigate someone "not involved with any function or program of the city of Joliet" and someone that is "not a contractor or subcontractor for the city of Joliet."

According to McFarland's lawsuit, "all investigatory files and reports of the office of inspector general shall be deemed confidential ... the city of Joliet ordinances do not provide Sean Connolly with the power to investigate a private person who is not a citizen of Joliet, not an official, officer, employee, or agent of the city of Joliet."

The defamation lawsuit stated that from September 2016 to the present, McFarland has not been a citizen of Joliet, an official, officer, employee or agent of the city of Joliet, involved with any function or program of the city of Joliet, a contractor or subcontractor for the city of Joliet.

The former Joliet councilman's lawsuit states McFarland had a telephone conversation with Dickinson "in which plaintiff urged Dickinson not to resign from the city of Joliet."

The Illinois State Police forensic examination of Dickinson's phone revealed that "the log of the telephone call between Dickinson and Plaintiff on October 23, 2020, had been deleted. The log of the telephone calls between Dickinson and Joe Hosey, the then-editor of The Herald-News, (Retired Councilman Mike) Turk, Alan Roechner and Marc Reid on October 23, 2020, had been deleted," McFarland's lawsuit noted.

On Thursday afternoon, attorney Schrock told Joliet Patch the inspector general's office relied on false information from Dickinson to build a false narrative suggesting that McFarland was involved in orchestrating the conspiracy against O'Dekirk.

Schrock also said that Connolly's report mentioning how his client has done social work and owned a printing shop in Frankfort served no purpose except to damage his client's business.

"Why were they investigating McFarland?" Schrock asked Joliet Patch. "All McFarland did was call Dickinson on October 23 (2020) and tell him, don't resign. McFarland is no longer involved in anything in Joliet. There was no reason for them to say that my client was part of a criminal conspiracy. This whole thing is fabricated by Dickinson. For what reason? I don't know."

Related Joliet Patch coverage:

McFarland Refused To Speak With Inspector General: Attorney

'This Is A Big Black Eye On The City Of Joliet,' Jan Quillman Declares

'Wrongly Accused' Joe Clement Blasts Ex-Joliet Chief, Deputy Chief

Ex-Chief, Ex-Deputy Chief Conspired To Damage Mayor: IL State Police

Mudron: Dickinson Wanted To Get Ahead Of Private Parts Photo Scandal