Complaint Against Steve Folga for Harassment in the Niles-Maine District Library

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act., I hereby request the following records:

any and all records related to a complaint that was submitted to the Niles-Maine District Library's Executive Director and Board of Trustees regarding an incident of harassment that occurred in the library space naming Steve Folga as the aggressor. This should include all emails sent to and from the Niles-Maine District Library’s executive director Cyndi Rademacher’s email and/or any library trustee’s email.

Please include the initial complaint, follow-up reports, corrective action, and supporting documentation.

During the 2021 library board election, Stephen M. Folga ran for a board seat under the “Niles Maine Library Trustees Ready for Change” slate. Also on the slate were Olivia Hanusiak, Suzanne Schoenfeldt, and Joe Makula. During a public forum, Joe Makula made the following racist comment:

“We should concentrate on people learning English because that’s the language here,” and “Instead of stocking up on books in seven different languages, if we got people to assimilate and learn English better, I think we would do more good in that area than increasing our inventory of foreign language books.”

Steve Folga lost his election. Olivia Hanusiak won the election but promptly quit only a few months later. On October 27th, Steve Folga attended a special board meeting to apply for the vacant board seat. In that public meeting Steve Folga accosted a member of the public regarding his public comment[1]. A followup public comment was made at the December 15, 2021 Niles-Maine District Library board meeting citing a complaint submitted to Executive Director Cyndi Rademacher.

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[1] Special Board Meeting - October 27, 2021
<https://youtu.be/T_YFC8jI0YY?t=713>
“Hello, my name is David Sutherland my pronouns are he/him/his

I would like to remind this board of one of the demands of the Niles Youth Community with their goal to Liberate the Library. It is:
“We demand racial representation by filling the vacant library trustee position with a person of color who is against eliminating the services and resources that some board members have targeted.”
When racist comments were made during the public forum of candidates for the recent library board election, applicant Steve Folga made no attempt then to denounce those racist comments made by a member of his slate. Two members of this board make up that slate and have a conflict of interest. Steve Folga should not be chosen.
Another applicant Steven Yasell should be dismissed. On the application question:

Do you/your company/your employer currently do business with the Niles-Maine District Library.

Yasell chose “NO”

This board hired Yasell with an unlimited $100 hour contract. Over 100 community members flooded the inboxes of this board and the mayor to reject that corrupt contract. At no point was this contract ever terminated. On that alone his applications should be thrown out.

Additionally Steven Yasell has also made white nationalist comments at a Village of Niles board meeting which he is proud to display on his own Yissilmissil Productions Youtube channel with the title "Anti-White Divisiveness". This behavior has no place in any governing body of our diverse community.

So when you interview these applicants please prioritize diversifying this homogeneous library board so it has a better chance to truly serve the needs of our community.

Thank you.”

[2] Regular Board Meeting - December 15, 2021
<https://youtu.be/wUauCWDxJmQ?t=1316>

“Hello my name is David Sutherland and my pronouns are he/him/his.

A distressing incident happened at the October 27th Library Special Board meeting. My spouse and I wrote in a complaint about this to the executive director and the board of trustees. There is confusion about the racists remarks made during the public forum of candidates for the recent library board election.

Historian and antiracist scholar Dr. Ibram X. Kendi often writes about two kinds of racist ideas: segregationist and assimilationist.

He explains, quote: “Anytime we say something is wrong with a racial group, we are articulating a racist idea. Anytime we say that racial group should change to be more like our racial group—or to be more American, which is code word for White American—we are articulating an assimilationist idea.

Assimilationist ideas are racist ideas because they are based on the assumption there is something wrong with another racial group that needs changing or something right with our racial group that doesn’t need changing.

Antiracist ideas suggest the problem of our society is not groups of people failing to assimilate so we can all be the ugly and assimilated same, but our policies and ideas are failing to treat the beautiful difference of human groups equally.”

And you can find his books like this one Stamped from the Beginning, the definitive history of racist ideas in America, as well as many others right here at this library!

And that’s what libraries are for! The exchange of constructive ideas to better our society and empower individuals. They are a third place, a public space, where, as Dr. Kendi put it: “the beautiful difference of human groups” are welcomed equitably. The Niles Youth Community came to you offering an opportunity to cement these ideals into the library’s mission and guidance. They have the perspective that you are missing. Where is the representative diversity of our community on this board? Where is the plan to extend the vision of this library to meet the needs of the most marginalized groups? This board is operating as a wrecking ball in betrayal of the public trust.

Generations of our community have poured hard work and resources into building this Niles-Maine District Library to what it was before you wrecked it. Now we see our former executive director Susan Dove Lempke forced to resign by you. She was beloved in the community as she spent 23 years nurturing and safeguarding this library for us. We see the Business Manager of eight years Greg Pritz now resigning due to this hostile board. So many other workers are leaving in droves and putting a huge strain on staff. Yet there is no plan to backfill these desperately needed positions to starve the library to death. Draconian and contrived meeting rules are attempting to limit engagement and dissent from the community. No clapping, snapping, no hissing, no names, We are not robots! We are people, we are community members who are justifiably outraged that our community space, that we so lovingly built and support, is being dismantled and poisoned before our very eyes. You will not escape criticism by any rule, measure, or policy you create.

Assimilation was the platform of the so-called Niles Maine Library Trustees Ready for Change slate. Steve Folga was on that slate, and now he seeks that open board seat. After I made my last public comment on October 27th, here in the library, he confronted me and my family about how assimilation wasn’t racist. He made a big scene in front of patrons and my young child. He was twice reprimanded by security until I cut him off. This is unacceptable behavior in the library space particularly for somebody seeking a trustee position of the library. I fear he wants to join his friends on this board to cement their racist agenda. An agenda that is counter to that of the institution trustees are sworn to be advocates of. Joe Makula’s racist comments should have disqualified him from holding a public office. The one trustee who called out Joe Makula’s racist comments, Trustee Becky Keane is now being sued by Joe Makula. This is not a board unified to care for our library, it’s a political power grab by an insular clique.

I am one of dozens of other organizers and allies of the Niles Coalition and our #SaveNilesLibrary campaign. We are rising up with the people against this immediate threat. We will #SaveNilesLibrary and we will bring social justice to Niles. We’re just getting warmed up!

Join us at SaveNilesLibrary.org”
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The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 5 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Niles Coalition

Hello Victoria,

Your response:
"On November 15, 2021, you requested the same information, which was provided to you on December 8, 2021."

No such FOIA was made by the Niles Coalition. Pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act., please provide the following responsive records:

any and all records related to a complaint that was submitted to the Niles-Maine District Library's Executive Director and Board of Trustees regarding an incident of harassment that occurred in the library space naming Steve Folga as the aggressor. This should include all emails sent to and from the Niles-Maine District Library’s executive director Cyndi Rademacher’s email and/or any library trustee’s email.

Thank you.

Hello FOIA Officer,

Please provide the record of a request submitted to this public body by the Niles Coalition dated November 15, 2021.

Thank you.