Jedidiah Brown confronts Andrew Holmes over sexual assault allegations; controversial Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard faces questions

DOLTON, Ill. (WLS) – Monday night’s council meeting was contentious but calm until the end, revolving largely around frustrations over issues such as the village’s finances.

However, that quickly changed at the end of the evening when activist Jedidiah Brown returned to the podium and confronted Dolton Trustee Andrew Holmes with allegations of sexual assault.

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Brown began shouting and demanding personal answers from Holmes to the allegations before storming to the front of the room and approaching Holmes.

Brown was immediately surrounded by police and taken away.

Holmes, who is also a well-known victim advocate, is accused of sexually harassing a former Dolton employee during a village-funded trip to Las Vegas last year.

No crime has been charged against Holmes, but the allegations are currently being investigated by Las Vegas police.

Before the confrontation was over, residents repeatedly asked where their tax money was going, while Mayor Tiffany Henyard defended her work and pointed the finger at the trustees.

More than a dozen Dolton emergency responders arrived at the community center in uniform to demand answers and express concerns about their pension funds.

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“We have served the village for five years without a contract. Currently, the village still refuses to negotiate, making progress extremely difficult, if not impossible,” said Adam Farej, president of Dolton IAFF Local 3766.

An audibly horrified audience of residents groaned. Firefighters from the southern suburbs unanimously declared that their financial situation was far worse than they even knew.

“My question is, ‘Do we have workers’ compensation insurance?'” Farej said. “We will continue to provide our services. These are serious issues and need to be addressed immediately.”

The revelation was an appeal, but during the public comment period, firefighters left the scene without immediate answers.

Her frustration was most evident, but she was far from the only one among residents who had lost patience with Henyard.

“I have been here for 30 years. I have never seen the village this bad,” said a spokesman. “I need to know what happens to the money in the village of Dolton.”

In her monthly mayoral update, Henyard was shunned by residents who visibly ignored her.

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“I am literally a beacon for Dolton,” Henyard said.

She fired back at her critics.

“The board of trustees raises your property taxes every year. If you come to the podium and say, ‘I don’t understand why my taxes are so high,’ that’s why,” Henyard said.

Henyard’s handling of the village’s finances is one aspect of a broader investigation being conducted without the attention of former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

After Henyard cut her off at Dolton’s last meeting, Lightfoot released a statement disclosing the extent of her findings to date, which was read by one of the trustees who had hired her.

“It paints a picture of the village’s finances, the way the current executive administration operates, many of the issues with the police department in terms of personnel and operations, and overall how this form of village government complies or does not comply with state law,” said Trustee Jason House.