From Heckman v. Village of Shannon, decided Monday by Judge Iain Johnston (N.D. Ill.):
Unless noted, the following allegations come from [Dawn] Heckman's complaint, accepted as true for the purposes of this motion.
A village [of Shannon] ordinance prohibits sexual harassment. Significantly, the ordinance is not limited to prohibiting sexual harassment in the workplace. According to the ordinance, "It is a policy of the village to prohibit harassment of any person by any municipal official, municipal agent, municipal employee or municipal agency or office on the basis of sex or gender." The ordinance then identifies conduct that may constitute sexual harassment. The list includes, among other things, "sexual innuendos, suggestive comments, insults, humor, and jokes about sex, anatomy or gender-specific traits."
Heckman is no stranger to Shannon's Village Board and Village President. She often attended village board meetings and criticized village policies. In 2025, she ran unsuccessfully for village president, losing to Ryan Shaner….
Heckman's strained relationship with village officials came to a head on May 6, 2025. That night, after a village board meeting, Heckman went to a local bar. Also at the bar were [village trustee Butch] Meinders, another village trustee (Steve Miller), and the village's chief of police (Michael Lewis). Heckman discussed village business with Meinders and Miller. At one point, Heckman pulled her left arm out of her shirt to show the bartender her new tattoo. Meinders saw this and said, "Here I thought you were going to whip your titties out and flash me." As Heckman then attempted to leave, Meinders said, "Sitting next to you all night has me horny, I'm going home to bother my wife." Meinders later falsely told an unnamed community member that Heckman had an inappropriate relationship with another member of the community. Meinders also allegedly told community members that he would not be held accountable for his conduct because of his position as trustee.
