Tinley Officials Derailed New Job For Local Lawyer: Lawsuit

TINLEY PARK, IL — The legal back and forth over mayoral appointments and hirings continues as a Tinley Park lawyer has filed a lawsuit of more than $1 million against village officials he claims stopped him from assuming another role in the administration. Local attorney Steve Eberhardt filed the lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court last month, and Village Manager Dave Niemeyer, Assistant Village Manager Pat Carr and three other defendants are named in it, according to the Daily Southtown.

The dispute stretches back to October after Carr, the village's previous Emergency Management Agency and 911 communications director, was promoted to assistant village manager. He had been working in that role on an interim basis while still performing his EMA duties since May.

Days after Carr's promotion, Mayor Jacob Vandenberg named Eberhardt as interim EMA director, a move objected to by three Tinley Park trustees. Cynthia Berg, Michael Mangin and Michael Pannitto argued that the mayor overstepped his authority by appointing Eberhardt, and they contended that the Village Board should have been consulted in the decision.

Although a village ordinance allows the mayor to fill such a vacancy, the trustees claim the criteria to do so hadn't been met. They voted to nullify the move at the end of October.

In his lawsuit filed Nov. 20, Eberhardt blames personal animosity and malicious intent on the part of Carr and Niemeyer for the alleged political maneuvering that derailed the creation of a new role for Eberhardt within Vandenberg's administration, the Southtown reports. Eberhardt claims he was to be hired in a new oversight position that would answer directly to the mayor, the report added.

RELATED: Tinley Trustees Try To Halt Naming Of Interim Agency Head

According to the lawsuit, Carr and Niemeyer were tasked with creating the job description for the new position, but they allegedly did so in a manner that would led Eberhardt to reject the role as offered, the report stated. Even though he didn't take the new job, Eberhardt claims he dropped cases because he thought he would be working as a full-time village employee, the report added.

Carr, Niemeyer and the other defendants — all are named as private individuals in the lawsuit and not village officials — are expected to file their responses later this month, the Southtown reports.

RELATED: Tinley Lawyer Sues Candidates In April Election For More Than $1M

This isn't the only lawsuit Eberhardt has brought forth against village officials recently. Last month, he filed a defamation lawsuit seeking more than $1 milion against candidates in last spring's election, claiming they damaged his reputation and legal practice.

More via the Daily Southtown

Steve Eberhardt (Photo via Patch archive)