A Will County circuit judge ruled March 21 that the Fountaindale Public Library District board in Bolingbrook, Illinois, did not have the authority to remove its president and 14-year member Ruth Newell, an action it took September 20 for her allegedly misusing a library credit card. “This is not to say the court is saying what Miss Newell did is proper,” Judge Herman Haase said, but he added that filing a criminal charge is the only provision in state law for removing a library trustee from office.
Newell reclaimed her seat as president in a board meeting that took place only a few hours after the court’s decision, the Chicago Daily Southtown reported March 22. In a 4–2 vote, the trustees approved requiring board members to sign in before using a credit card and state the purpose for its use. During a closed session with Newell present, the board discussed pursuing criminal charges against her but took no action after returning to open session.
Library-district attorney Roger Rittman said during the trial that Newell’s misuse of the credit card was a “breach of her fiduciary responsibilities” to the voters. She allegedly used the card to purchase two newspaper subscriptions, a gift for a retiring board member, and $400 worth of books for the library. However, she testified that she reimbursed the $240.99 for the subscriptions and gift, and presented the books to the library.
Posted March 25, 2002.