PEKIN, Ill. – A family man. A volunteer. A longstanding member of the Pekin community. A dog owner.
Those are some of the words supporters of Pekin City Council member Lloyd Orrick are using, even as the City Council voted Monday to put off for two weeks a vote on censuring Orrick after an ethics committee in December found Orrick sexually harassed fellow council member Karen Hohimer.
One of the residents who spoke was Amy Hasty, supporting Orrick while claiming the ethics committee didn’t act properly. Hasty also says what the council was being asked to act on wasn’t the same as the ethics committee’s ruling.
“The only item that should be coming forth legally tonight to this agenda is a public censure as deemed by the city’s ethics commission,” said Hasty. “However, the resolution that’s in front of all of you states something entirely different.”
That resolution included sanctions, including self-paid sexual harassment training and other things. CLICK HERE to read the document (.pdf format).
Hasty also claimed, “in typical fashion, the media has produced a video and quotes that will support their views and rankings.” She also alleged bias and lack of due process for Orrick, and that the committee acted on hearsay.
“There was a comment made that, in that hearing, the commission based their ruling on hearsay,” said Mayor Mark Luft. “I believe there was a lot of hearsay at the podium there, too.”
Luft said this has been a difficult time for him, and that before now, he and Orrick have served together for a long time, and have been friends.
The council vote on censure could now happen January 24th.
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