Orland Park Statement on Settlement of William Sanchez vs. Village of Orland Park, et al., Lawsuit

Status of Temporary Restraining Order Against Former Mayor Keith Pekau for Releasing Confidential Village Information

William Sanchez vs. Village of Orland Park, et al.

The Village of Orland Park has reached a settlement agreement with William Sanchez to fully resolve the William Sanchez vs. Village of Orland Park, et al., lawsuit.

Mayor Jim Dodge stated, “This settlement effectively closes this matter. The Village of Orland Park remains committed to resolving all outstanding litigation carried over from the prior administration in an efficient and responsible manner. Our ongoing focus is on strengthening public trust, enhancing operational efficiency, and ensuring that the Village of Orland Park continues to advance responsibly, transparently, and in the best interests of our residents.”

Under the settlement, the Village, its insurance carrier, and the insurance carrier for the investigative firm have agreed to pay $225,000 as the compensatory portion of the settlement and $299,000 in back pay for a total of $524,000.

William Sanchez is being reinstated to his previous position with the Orland Park Police Department. Each party will be responsible for their own legal fees and costs. In the Village’s case, legal fees exceed $460,000.

The Village and all named individuals deny all allegations of wrongdoing, and the settlement was made as a cost-of-defense decision by the Village and the insurance carriers, not as an admission of liability or fault.

All claims against the Village, its employees, are in the process of being dismissed with prejudice pursuant to settlement with the Village only, bringing the matter to a full and final resolution.

Temporary Restraining Order Against Former Mayor Keith Pekau

On August 14, 2025, Cook County Circuit Court Judge Caroline Kate Moreland issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against former mayor Keith Pekau, ordering him to immediately remove his publication of the Village’s confidential information he received access to while in office, and to cease publishing or disseminating any additional non-public confidential information related to the Village of Orland Park.

The court’s action was a result of an emergency lawsuit the Village filed against Mr. Pekau, who lost re-election in April 2025, in response to blog and social media posts in which Mr. Pekau disclosed sensitive internal documents and details concerning ongoing litigation involving the Village and non-public information related to Village employees. It is the Village’s position that Mr. Pekau’s conduct violated certain privacy laws and threatened to undermine the Village’s position in active litigation exposing taxpayers to greater liability and financial harm. Prior to filing the lawsuit, the Village requested Mr. Pekau to voluntarily remove the confidential information, but he refused.

During ongoing court proceedings, Ancel Glink attorneys argued that Mr. Pekau’s publication of the Village’s confidential information violated his oath of office, the Village Code’s requirement that current and former officials cannot divulge the Village’s confidential information, and the Illinois Municipal Code’s requirement that outgoing officials turn over all records to their successors. The attorneys reiterated that the Village was committed to transparency, but that transparency laws still permit municipalities to keep limited information confidential for a number of reasons permitted by the Illinois General Assembly.

As the Village’s request for a permanent injunction against Mr. Pekau continues in circuit court, the TRO remains in place. The TRO prohibits Mr. Pekau from posting, sharing, or discussing any confidential Village communications, including legal memoranda, settlement discussions, personnel matters, and internal emails protected under attorney-client privilege. The Village continues to fight Mr. Pekau for the return of confidential Village documents that he has in his possession.

The Village of Orland Park remains committed to open, transparent and responsible governance and will continue to take legal action when necessary to protect its interests and those of its residents.

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Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

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