Legislature passes bills on payouts over sexual misconduct allegations

Bills related to payout of taxpayer funds to public officials accused of sexual misconduct are closer to the governor's desk.

The state Senate unanimously passed legislation last week that would require the public to be notified when a taxing body has entered into a severance agreement with an employee or contractor that has been accused of sexual assault or discrimination.

The bill, co-sponsored by state Rep. David McSweeney, a Barrington Hills Republican, and state Rep. Marty Moylan, a Des Plaines Democrat, passed the House in March.

This comes after allegations of sexual harassment made against former Des Plaines Elementary District 62 Superintendent Floyd Williams Jr. that ended in a $127,000 severance payment when he and the district parted ways in November.

"We want to minimize or eliminate those severance packages in the future," McSweeney said.

The bill is being sent back to the House for technical concurrence because of a typo found after it passed unanimously the first time around. The bill will pass by May 31, McSweeney said. "We just had to fix some technicalities."

A bill stating that no public funds can be used as payout for anyone related to allegations of sexual harassment by members of Legislature also passed the House and Senate last week, and is waiting to be sent to the governor, according to Reena Tandon, a state Senate spokeswoman.