LISLE, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Allegations that a Lisle Village Trustee and recent mayoral candidate used a racial slur five years ago while being arrested came up at a village board meeting this week, forcing him to confront the issue.
While Trustee Stephen Winz was running for mayor, a police report surfaced alleging he used the slur during an arrest for disorderly conduct in 2016.
He’s quoted by the police as saying he hopes the n-words kill all of the police and then added, “Black Lives Matter.”
Winz went before a judge to have the case expunged and the police report sealed. But, it still made the rounds on social media and in a campaign mailer.
“I was so disheartened and hurt by the way the report read," he said.
He had been arrested following a disturbance in a bar.
Lisle resident Stephanie Tressell was among several who said Winz needs to resign.
“You managed to offend blacks, use profanity, and take the lord’s name in vain; and also wish death on the police. Not sure where Black Lives Matter fits in, but you threw that in there as well," she said.
Another resident, Meredith Burke said she stayed quiet when this issue was being tossed around on social media, but spoke out in his support at the meeting
“The horrible, horrible, horribleness on Facebook, slandering this man," she said.
“This man had been put through the ringer, and I ask you all to knock it off,” to jeers from some in the board chambers. "Can we let it die? Let it go!"
For his part, Trustee Winz didn’t deny it happened. He said the police report didn’t tell the whole story.
"I'm so, so sorry to anybody in Lisle, to first off, the enormous amount of African American friends that I have. It's embarrassing," he said.
Winz said he would not resign. He said, "every day you will see a new and improved Stephen Winz."
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