JJC Trustee Calls Cops on Resident Taping Meeting

Dear Editor;

On Tuesday night, I attended a Joliet Junior College Board workshop meeting. I sat quietly in the back row and video-recorded anything of possible interest to taxpayers.

After the meeting adjourned, I exited the building and saw a campus police officer standing outside on his cell phone. As I passed him, he told me he was calling the police on me. I thought he was just making a joke so I laughed and casually walked on.

On Wednesday morning, board Chairman Barb Delaney called me to find out if I had been detained by police. That’s when I found out from her that it was not a joke. Apparently board member Susan Klen called the police on me just before the meeting adjourned.

Two officers showed up at the board room just after I had left, Delaney told me, and asked Klen for a description of me. Delaney was standing nearby and she said she was somewhat shocked that Klen had called the police. “You don’t mean Brad, do you?” she asked. Klen apparently did.

Delaney said she told Klen that this was an open public meeting and that I had every right to record it.

I was there, as always, to promote transparency and to inform taxpayers. This clearly demonstrates how some JJC board members want to continue to operate in the dark, without .

Almost a year ago, shortly after I ran for a JJC board seat, I proposed six changes the board could make to improve transparency, including allowing the public to sign up to make comments at the  start of meetings, providing detailed meeting agendas like other school districts, and allowing for some questions during meetings. No action has been taken.

Brad Baber, Joliet