Fox River Fire Board censures trustee, calls for resignation

The Fox River and Countryside Fire/Rescue board censured Trustee Nick McManus and called for his resignation due to his actions towards its administrator, Tracy Dunklau, an investigation revealed.

The board approved the censure – which included the call for him to resign – at its May 8 meeting.

McManus voted against the censure and said he would not resign.

“I’m not resigning. I made it perfectly clear,” said McManus, a retired St. Charles firefighter. “It’s a personality thing. People don’t like me. It’s a witch hunt...Everyone is trying to make me out to be the bad guy and I try to get along with people.”

The district established itself in 2007 after splitting off from St. Charles. It serves more than 25,000 residents over 38 square miles in Kane and DuPage counties and in the unincorporated areas of St. Charles and Campton Townships and the incorporated villages of Campton Hills and Wayne.

McManus said the animus from Dunklau and the other board members stem from him asking questions and being persistent when he doesn’t get answers.

“I didn’t get any cooperation, so it just came to a head. I’m embarrassed by my behavior,” McManus said. “I owe everybody an apology. It was not professional, it was not me, I was just upset.”

McManus raised his voice at Dunklau at a closed session during the Dec. 7, 2023, meeting, resulting in her filing a hostile work environment complaint against him on Dec. 11, 2023.

“It was upsetting and demeaning to have to watch and listen to the abusive and aggressive way he acted and spoke directly to me,” according to her complaint. “What you witnessed is consistent with the repeated hostile behavior in which he interacts with me.”

For his part, McManus apologized, resigned as treasurer to limit his interaction with Dunklau.

In another closed session, McManus asked for an investigation of her allegations.

The result, 23-page document – called The McManus Investigation – ultimately determined that he retaliated against Dunklau; that his conduct was unbecoming of a board member; that he failed to show proper courtesy and respect; and made derogatory or malicious statements, all in violation of various department policies.

The investigation did not support Dunklau’s allegations of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment.

Attorney G. David Mathues, of an Itasca law firm, conducted the investigation.

It involved reviewing more than 2,500 pages, about 10 hours of recorded meetings, and was completed April 30, according to its introduction.

“Trustee McManus also regularly clashed with many board members and several fire chiefs,” according to the investigation.

“Moreover, according to every other board member, Trustee McManus’s tone of voice, body language, and facial expressions during board meetings were hostile to other trustees as well as Ms. Dunklau. Notably, at a September 2024 meeting, he and another trustee exchanged words and stood up, which required [then-Board President Jason] Parthun to stand up to ensure nothing further occurred,” according to the report.

Parthun resigned April 15.

In his interview with McManus, he denied using a hostile or aggressive tone in board meetings except the lone meeting in December 2023

“He insisted that he had been regularly excluded by Ms. Dunklau from information and documents shared with other trustees. He claimed she was ‘curt’ and did not offer to help him in the way she helped other trustees,” according to the report.

Mathues’ determinations included that the board should censure McManus; that Dunklau be protected from retaliation by McManus, in that he should not participate in setting her salary, benefits or job duties; and that she interact with him only as needed.

Dunklau declined to comment.

Former fire district trustee John Karr, who was then the board treasurer, said the probe cost $22,000.

The district is expected to appoint someone to fill Parthun’s vacancy, a two-year term, at its next meeting, 6 p.m. Thursday, June 5, at Fire Station #1, 34W500 Carl Lee Road, St. Charles.