A judge has ordered the Illinois Department of Transportation to show by Dec. 19 that it has a legitimate reason for dismissing 55 employees.
Sangamon County Circuit Judge Patrick Kelley earlier halted IDOT’s plan to dismiss the so-called staff assistants on Sept. 30 until the agency handed over the documents showing an authorized “material reorganization.”
IDOT announced the dismissals after a state investigation found more than 250 staff assistants had been improperly hired during the past decade. Dismissals are allowed under a material reorganization. The Teamsters wants proof of the reorganization by seeking documents under the public-records law.