Residents Accuse Palos Twp. Board of 'Enabling' Trustee's 'Hate Speech' At Raucous Meeting

PALOS TOWNSHIP, IL -- The Palos Township Board continued to stand by a trustee alleged to have made anti-Muslim statements on social media, despite hundreds of activists and Arab American residents showing Monday up to demand the trustee’s dismissal. Tr. Sharon Brannigan, a one-time GOP congressional candidate and an elected township trustee since 2013, is accused of using hate speech on Facebook to discriminate against Muslim residents, who comprise 30 percent of Palos Township’s population. Although the comments have since been taken down, Brannigan has not denied making them. She has also stated that she has no intention of resigning her elected position in the face of public outcry.

Since July, residents and activists have been showing up in force at the Palos Township Board’s monthly meetings. The August board meeting when residents showed up in too large a number that could be accommodated in the board’s 42-seat capacity meeting room. During Monday’s meeting, the overflow of residents were again forced to stand in the lobby or outside in the parking lot. Although there had discussion of finding a larger venue and even holding the meeting in the parking lot, the Palos Township board members proceeded to hold the meeting in their usual venue.

Township trustees claimed to have no committee reports, nor was there any further discussion of old or new business as they ran through their agenda. Palos Township Supervisor Colleen Schumann did ask for a moment of silence in honor of those who lost their lives in 9/11 terrorist attacks.

“I suspect you’re wondering why we’re back at our overflowing facility instead of a different larger venue,” Schumann said. “We worked toward the goal in getting access to gyms and other areas and were denied. Children are still on the premises of most schools and gyms and they would not allow a public meeting at those venues so we were turned down in our applications.”

Schumann added that by broadcasting the meeting via a public address system, the board was in compliance with Illinois’ Open Meetings Act, which requires government bodies to meet in larger venues to accommodate large public gatherings. She also reminded the audience that township board has “no legal authority to remove another elected official from office.”

Many of the audience members called the board members “enablers” of Brannigan’s alleged hate rhetoric and “complicit” for not applying pressure for her to resign. Scott Smith, a board member on the Southwest Side Chicago Diversity Collaborative, said Brannigan’s statements made her “unfit for her job.” Addressing the rest of the township board, Smith claimed that the Illinois Attorney General’s Office has already expressed concerns about the board’s compliance with the Open Meetings Act.

“Are any of you really interested in further legal entanglements,” Smith said. “How much longer do the rest of you wish to have this board aligned with this hateful rhetoric and have that on the record in a court of law. We ask that you do the right thing. Don’t let Ms. Brannigan’s mistakes become yours as well. It’s long past time for you to stand up for the 30 percent of residents who’ve been so cruelly maligned and ask her to step down for the good of the community.”

After an hour of public comments, some of them embedded here, Brannigan’s lone supporter was shouted down. At one point during the public comments, she appeared to be laughing when an audience member holding a young child accused Brannigan tweeting the woman’s address and phone number bringing on death threats to the woman and her family.

“That is not true,” Brannigan said.

The meeting adjourned when those standing in the lobby and outside the town hall began to chant “racist go home.” Brannigan briskly exited the meeting and did not stop to speak with her constituents. Residents vowed they would be back next month when the township board meets on Oct. 9.

PHOTO: Palos Twp. Tr. Sharon Brannigan listens to public comments calling for her resignation.