Preckwinkle Denounces Sharon Brannigan's Alleged Anti-Muslim Facebook Posts

COOK COUNTY, IL -- Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle is calling for the immediate resignation of Sharon Brannigan who is accused of making disparaging anti-Muslim posts on social media. Brannigan is a Palos Township trustee and a member of the Cook County Commission on Women’s Issues.

Preckwinkle issued a statement Wednesday afternoon calling for Brannigan to resign immediately from the women’s issues commission. She also called on GOP Commissioner Sean Morrison, who appointed Brannigan to the commission, to seek her resignation.

“I was made aware late yesterday of social media posts by Sharon Brannigan, a member of our Cook County Commission on Women’s Issues. If these posts accurately reflect her views on diversity and inclusion, I believe she should step down from the Commission. Such viewpoints certainly do not reflect our values nor, in my opinion, the kind of representation we want on the Commission. Ms. Brannigan is the appointee of Commissioner Sean Morrison. I ask that Commissioner Morrison seek Ms. Brannigan’s immediate resignation.”

Among the Facebook posts made by Brannigan, many made in her capacity as an elected Palos Township trustee, questioned the citizenship of the growing number of Middle Eastern students enrolled in the township’s public schools. She also praised the female members of President Trump’s family for not wearing the traditional Muslim headscarf during the president’s trip to the Middle East in May.

RELATED: Palos Township Residents Confront Trustee On 'Anti-Muslim' Facebook Posts

More than 200 Palos Township residents and others from the surrounding suburbs’ Arab American community rallied in front of the township building Monday night before the board’s monthly meeting. Only 42 residents were allowed inside the boardroom, where they confronted Brannigan on her Facebook posts and demanded an apology from other township board members.

Brannigan read a written statement. At the end of the meeting, she thanked residents for exercising their rights to freedom of speech.