Controversial Downers Grove library trustee removed from board
Bill Nienburg’s controversial tenure as a Downers Grove Library Board trustee ended last week when the village council voted 4-3 to remove him from the board.
The April 16 vote came roughly six weeks after library trustees censured Nienburg and recommended his removal from the board.
Village commissioners Leslie Sadowski-Fugitt, Mike Davenport, Chris Gilmartin and Greg Hose supported the resolution calling for Nienburg’s ouster.
Mayor Bob Barnett and village commissioners Danny Glover and Martin Tully opposed the measure.
The resolution calling for Nienburg’s removal cited his misconduct or neglect of office.
Nienburg was out of town and did not attend the council meeting. His brother-in-law, Norm Sidler, read a statement on Nienburg’s behalf.
“To those of you who justify your support for this action as a necessary step for the good of the library, it’s a self-serving narrative that is nothing more than a weakness in willingness to stand up for principle,” Nienburg said in the statement. “You think the board has become too dysfunctional. I think your tolerance for democracy and free speech needs a serious check.”
Tully said there’s no evidence to support the allegation of misconduct or neglect of office.
“That standard isn’t even being close to being met here, not even close,” Tully said. “I wish the library had dealt with this themselves in a better way without bringing the divisiveness here.”
Sadowski-Fugitt outlined several reasons to support Nienburg’s removal from the library board.
“There’s ample evidence to support that Trustee Nienburg has not acted in the best interest of the Downers Grove Public Library and, in some cases, disparaged marginalized populations and minimized their harassment by board meeting attendees,” Sadowski-Fugitt said.
In explaining why he supported Nienburg’s removal from the library board, Hose said Nienburg “through his words and actions” joined with “those in the community who have created a hostile environment in our library” to drive away staff.
“Mr. Nienburg cannot be permitted to destroy the institution he was appointed to protect,” Hose said.
However, Barnett said removing Nienburg “is a difficult thing. It is not the kind of thing your council wants to do.”
The mayor said library board members failed to discuss their differences and inability to get along. He said he would have preferred if the council had a chance to mediate.
“There’s obviously a problem within the library board of trustees, and we’ve been asked to take this one action,” Barnett said. “I’m not ready to take it unless I have more involvement in getting to that point.”
Glover defended Nienburg and said he did not deserve to be removed from the library board.
“I just don’t believe Mr. Nienburg said anything wrong, offensive or illegal,” Glover said. “It is my opinion, regardless of how we twist words or their intent, that Mr. Nienburg often provided a perspective that is often not shared by the rest of the board and, in actuality, has not violated any of the said bylaws or acted in a way that I feel is inappropriate (of) his position.”
The library board initially planned only to censure Nienburg for “leaking or attempting to leak” a draft policy document to a resident, according to a resolution to censure. The draft document was presumed confidential as it was sent only to trustees for review.
Nienburg also failed to “separate personal opinion from his position as trustee on at least one occasion while identifying himself as a library trustee,” according to the resolution.
Nienburg made those comments on X on Dec. 28 regarding Illinois’ new law on book bans.