{"id":7868,"date":"2025-06-28T13:11:53","date_gmt":"2025-06-28T13:11:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/princetonillinois.com\/?p=7868"},"modified":"2025-06-28T13:11:53","modified_gmt":"2025-06-28T13:11:53","slug":"marseilles-mayor-multiple-city-employees-sue-commissioner-for-defamation-shaw-local","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/princetonillinois.com\/?p=7868","title":{"rendered":"Marseilles mayor, multiple city employees sue commissioner for defamation – Shaw Local"},"content":{"rendered":"


According to court documents, Mayor Jim Hollenbeck and three city employees are suing Streets Commissioner Michael Scheib for defamation, seeking damages between $15,000 and $50,000 following his Facebook post from March. <\/span>(Michelle Turner)
Marseilles<\/a> Mayor Jim Hollenbeck and three city employees filed a defamation lawsuit against Commissioner Michael Scheib this week, alleging he publicly questioned their integrity and work ethic in a Facebook post.
Filed Tuesday in La Salle County Circuit Court<\/a>, the lawsuit said Scheib posted on March 24 that the city \u201cdid not need employees to run City Hall, but just five honest people working one-hour days.\u201d
According to court documents, the plaintiffs – Hollenbeck, Deputy City Clerk Catherine Strottner, Administrative Assistant Terri Crum and City Clerk Lesley Hart – said the comment implied they were dishonest and negligent in their duties, resulting in embarrassment, public ridicule and emotional distress.
Scheib, however, denies he was referring to City Hall employees.
\u201cI was addressing the part-time nature of the City Council and wasn\u2019t referring to city employees whatsoever,\u201d Scheib said.
Scheib made reference to a confidential agreement the city of Marseilles<\/a> and Mayor Jim Hollenbeck reached to pay a city official $15,000 in exchange for dropping a discrimination complaint<\/a>. The employee filed a \u201ccharge of discrimination\u201d with the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against the city and Hollenbeck, according to the May 31, 2023, agreement received by Shaw Local through a Freedom of Information Act request.
\u201c … and I\u2019m the one being sued,\u201d Scheib said after making reference to that case.
Scheib has been involved in disputes at recent Marseilles City Council<\/a> sessions, including many with Hollenbeck.
The plaintiffs are seeking damages between $15,000 and $50,000.
According to court documents, the plaintiffs said the post has caused them significant personal distress, including loss of sleep, appetite and increased stress.
Randy Gordon, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, said his clients had hoped to avoid legal action.
\u201cMy clients have put up with an awful lot for a very long time and had hoped it would never come to this,\u201d Gordon said. \u201cThey\u2019ve endured a lot, and it will all come out in the depositions and at the trial.\u201d
Gordon is based in Morris<\/a> and practices at Gordon Law Offices.
The case is ongoing, with both sides expected to provide additional statements and evidence during the trial.
Copyright \u00a9 2023 Shaw Local News Network
Copyright \u00a9 2023 Shaw Local News Network<\/p>\n

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According to court documents, Mayor Jim Hollenbeck and three city employees are suing Streets Commissioner Michael Scheib for defamation, seeking damages between $15,000 and $50,000 following his Facebook post from March. (Michelle Turner)Marseilles Mayor Jim Hollenbeck and three city employees filed a defamation lawsuit against Commissioner Michael Scheib this week, alleging he publicly questioned their integrity and work ethic in<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t