Book closes on tenure of controversial Downers Grove library trustee

The final chapter of Bill Nienburg’s controversial tenure as a member of the Downers Grove Library Board was written last week when the Village Council voted 4-3 to remove Nienburg from the board.

The April 16 vote came about six weeks after library trustees voted 5-0 to censure Nienburg and recommend his removal from the board. Nienburg did not attend that meeting.

Village Commissioners Leslie Sadowski-Fugitt, Mike Davenport, Chris Gilmartin and Greg Hose supported the resolution calling for Nienburg’s ouster. Mayor Bob Barnett was joined by Commissioners Danny Glover and Martin Tully in opposing 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. You think the board has become too dysfunctional. I think your tolerance for democracy and free speech needs a serious check,” Nienburg said in the statement.

“Tonight’s vote is without shred of due process,” Nienburg said in the statement. “The [library] board’s censure was a blindsided attack on me, orchestrated to happen when I was out of town so I could not defend it.”

Sidler said that removing Nienburg from the library board sets a bad precedent because individuals asked in the future to serve on village commissions will ask themselves, “Why am I going to subject myself to what just happened to Bill Nienburg?”

Tully said the library board should not have voted to censure Nienburg at a meeting he was unable to attend.

“The other thing that has always troubled me about this is that the library’s resolution, and I have yet to hear a good excuse for this from anybody other than that we just didn’t want to, is why was [the censure] voted on the one time Bill Nienburg couldn’t attend,” Tully said.

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, and I haven’t heard even one thing yet that comes within a time zone of that statement,” Tully said.

“I wish the library had dealt with this themselves in a better way without bringing the divisiveness here,” Tully added.

Sadowski-Fugitt outlined several reasons to support Nienburg’s removal from the 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.

“Many of my colleagues in the past have stated that removing Trustee Nienburg will not fix the problem at the library and use this as a reason not to vote for this motion,” Sadowski-Fugitt said. “But I think that’s why we must move this forward and also be vocal in condemning the accusations and assaults that have been hurled at the library and members of the LGBTQ+ community and those wishing to teach a more inclusive version of history because this has nothing to do with political affiliations and everything to do with dangerous extremism that is taking hold not just here in Downers Grove or the western suburbs but the entirety of the country.”

Darien resident Noel Manley, a frequent critic of the library board, said Nienburg never received due process.

“We’re here in Downers Grove tonight where it appears due process does not apply,” Manley said. “Bill did his job for the taxpayer and now he’s being smeared and fired for it.”

Hose said Nienburg had ample opportunities to address the Village Council.

“If Mr. Nienburg wanted to come address us, that podium is available three times a week between 7 p.m. and whenever we gavel out. ... Folks come and talk to us about any manner of things and he has not taken advantage of it. I can’t speak as to why,” Hose said.

Hose went on to explain his rationale for supporting Nienburg’s removal from the library board.

“Mr. Nienburg through his words and actions has chosen to join with those in the community who have created a hostile environment in our library with the goal of driving away staff. Mr. Nienburg cannot be permitted to destroy the institution he was appointed to protect,” Hose said.

Gilmartin echoed Hose’s sentiments, saying Nienburg was an ineffective library trustee, had a poor attendance record and lost the trust and faith of his fellow trustees.

At library board meetings, Nienburg “lambasts his fellow trustees and library staff, often done by twisting and ignoring facts,” Gilmartin said. “These charged tirades, which he has every right to do, demonstrate his desire to pander to a disruptive minority, feigning victimhood, stoking disruption and seeking to generate a false narrative about the operations and safety of our library.”

Barnett said removing Nienburg “is a difficult thing. It is not the kind of thing your council wants to do. I’m sure it’s not the kind of thing anyone in this room wants to do this evening either.”

“My biggest problem with this whole thing is who owns this mess,” Barnett said. “I do, to some degree. Each of these people that are on [the library] board, I had a role in either appointing or reappointing. This council does because we’ve had a role in appointing or reappointing [and] either approving or actually selecting people.”

The library board members failed to discuss their differences and inability to get along, Barnett said, adding 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 and I’m not ready to take it unless I have more involvement in getting to that point,” Barnett said.

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 on Feb. 17 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.

Before the vote to censure, Library Trustee David Humphries called for Nienburg’s removal from the board.

“I don’t believe he ought to continue to represent the community as a member of this board,” Humphries said at the time.