Oak Lawn politics in the news (more)

Excerpts from OakLawnLeaf.com:

The Village of Oak Lawn is embroiled in a heated dispute with firefighter and former union official Robert Lanz, with some officials calling the village’s actions an unfair attack on his character. The conflict began when the village manager, Larry Deetjen, accused Lanz of possibly contacting phone sex lines while on duty, leading to a formal notice for interrogation.

In court documents filed by the village, it was stated that as a firefighter-paramedic, Lanz has access to residents during their most vulnerable moments. While this claim was not disputed, the next part of the document sparked outrage among employees and officials:

Firefighter-paramedics such as the Plaintiff (Lanz) see patients when they are not fully clothed, and the paramedics must have physical contact with patients, often of the opposite sex. Because of this, the village must have supreme confidence that the firefighter will not abuse the patient relationship for his own personal gratification.

This statement was labeled as absurd by two anonymous sources within the village. “Linking an unproven allegation about phone sex to the possibility of a sex crime shows how far this administration is willing to go to undermine its firefighters,” one employee said, requesting anonymity due to fear of retaliation.

A local official called the entire situation a waste of public funds, attributing it largely to Deetjen's actions. According to court filings, Deetjen had heard rumors that a union audit revealed misused funds. Under his direction, the village requested an investigation by the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. However, no charges were ever filed against any firefighter or union official related to financial misconduct.

Despite the case being closed, Deetjen reportedly submitted a Freedom of Information Act request and obtained internal union documents detailing all allegations made by union officials over the past four years. He then reviewed these records and connected certain charges to Lanz, whom he has had a contentious relationship with for years.

Deetjen admitted in court documents that he checked the names of some companies online and found that two of them provided phone sex services. He then examined Lanz’s records and suggested that some of the charges might have occurred while he was at the firehouse. Firefighters in Oak Lawn work 24-hour shifts and remain at the station during that time.

An unnamed official criticized Deetjen’s actions, calling it an obvious attempt to damage Lanz’s reputation. “This isn’t the first time I’ve seen this kind of smear campaign from this administration,” he said. “I’m not surprised they’re trying to tarnish his name, but I am shocked they would stretch this into a potential sex crime by bringing up the close contact paramedics have with residents.”

When Deetjen first brought the issue to the village board, he claimed Lanz was being disciplined for both financial and inappropriate sexual activities while on duty. This contradicts his later court declaration, in which he stated, “In late November or early December 2015, I learned that the Cook County Sheriff’s Department concluded its investigation and decided not to press criminal charges against the Plaintiff (Lanz).”

According to sources within the village, Lanz is currently on paid sick leave.

Thanks Dan

New Energy Connector

New Energy Connector,Industrial Data Connector,Industrial Waterproof Connector,Industrial Equipment Connectors

Dongguan Shangjie Precision Hardware Co., Ltd , https://www.shangjiecnc.com