Elgin cop's wife threatens to sue over not making hiring list
An Elgin police sergeant's wife who didn't make the police hiring list is threatening legal action if the board of fire and police commissioners doesn't grant her another interview.
Jane Santiago, 44, objects to being interviewed by only four of the five board members last fall after Police Chief Jeff Swoboda recused himself. Swoboda says he has a "friendly" relationship with Santiago and her husband, Rick, which leads to a conflict of interest.
Santiago, who scored a 73 out of a minimum 75 points needed to pass the interview, said Swoboda should have either been present - as he was for the other candidates - or named a replacement within the police department.
Santiago said she felt she had no choice but to hire an attorney because she's heard nothing from the city since she sent the board a letter Dec. 16 asking for an appeal.
"It hasn't been handled professionally from the beginning," she said. "I couldn't get information about anything, and I figured I didn't really have any choices."
The board, which does not have a formal appeal process, was planning to discuss the matter in closed session Thursday evening, its first meeting since Santiago's request. The discussion was postponed, however, because the city received a letter Thursday morning from Santiago's attorney, Thomas Geoghegan, of Chicago.
The letter cites the city's municipal code, which requires the board to be made up of five members. "If the city refuses to give Mrs. Santiago an oral interview with the proper procedure we will seek a legal action requiring the city to follow its hiring procedure," the letter states.
A review of the rules and regulations of the board shows oral interviews require a quorum of three board members.
Board members didn't comment after Thursday's meeting.
Elgin Corporation Counsel Bill Cogley said the city will review and respond to the letter in the near future. He declined further comment.
Santiago, who has 10 years of experience as a police officer and about two years as a military police officer, also said she believes she was a victim of age and gender discrimination.
"My attorney doesn't want me to disclose much at this point," she said about not making that claim in Thursday's letter.
Santiago was the oldest among seven women interviewed by the board last fall; four of them, ages 22 to 37, made the hiring list, city officials said.
Swoboda didn't recuse himself when the board interviewed Brad Duffy, who was hired in December and is the son of former Elgin Deputy Chief Robert Duffy. Swoboda said the circumstances were different due to the nature of his relationship with the Santiagos.