BENTON - Jacqueline Powell, former interim director of the East St. Louis Housing Authority, sued the authority’s board over conduct of former board president Shonte Mueller 10 days after Mueller sued the city for removing her from the board.
According to their complaints the housing board terminated Powell last Oct. 27 and the city terminated Mueller on Nov. 16.
Alexander Taylor of DuPage County filed Powell’s complaint at U.S. district court on Oct. 25.
The suit claims that the housing board appointed Powell in August 2023 and Mueller informed Powell she would accompany her at all times for her training period.
Mueller allegedly told her not to wear tight clothes because she didn’t want the men around there looking at her.
Mueller allegedly stated she wanted a butt like Powell’s and asked if she paid for it.
Mueller allegedly commented almost daily about her body and on several occasions she repeated questions about plastic surgery.
“Mueller made these remarks in front of other people causing them to stare at her buttocks and other private body parts,” Taylor wrote.
According to the suit, Powell wore long sweaters and layers of clothes even when it wasn’t cold.
She allegedly complained to human resources representative Veleka Brown that she felt sexually harassed and stated she wanted the behavior to stop.
The suit claims that Powell told Mueller, "Today is your last day acting like this.”
Powell allegedly said, “Please don't speak to me about this stuff anymore. I can't take it."
Mueller allegedly retaliated by initiating a campaign to have Powell terminated.
The suit claims that she accused Powell of trying to steal a Home Depot credit card and set up a board meeting to initiate her termination.
It claims that Powell explained that the accountant provided the card to purchase necessary supplies and that resolved the issue.
Mueller allegedly inserted herself into day-to-day operations and instructed staff not to contact Powell about events and developments she needed to know about.
The suit claims that Powell wasn’t made aware of a broken elevator in a high-rise building and that she had to call the city attorney to find out about evictions.
Powell claims she informed city manager Robert Betts about Mueller's retaliatory behavior and nothing changed.
Powell called the housing authority attorney to set up a meeting about Mueller's retaliation and the attorney asked if the board’s attorney could attend.
“Though this was highly unusual, Plaintiff agreed,” Taylor wrote.
Powell claims she went and Mueller was present with a letter informing her she was suspended and could not come on the property or attend board meetings without calling her.
Mueller allegedly falsely informed a local news source that Powell hired her husband's brother for contract work.
The suit further claims that Powell wasn’t involved with the City's coincidental hiring of her husband's step brother and she reported the relationship as soon as it became known.
Powell claims that she attempted to attend a board meeting to defend herself but found Mueller's husband, a police officer, waiting to escort her back to her car.
Powell claims that a video clip ended up on the news, further damaging Powell’s reputation.
The board terminated her at the meeting due to her inability to defend herself.
“Mueller's blatant and hurtful lies would eventually become known and she was ultimately terminated,” Taylor wrote.
Shonte Mueller and the officer outside the meeting, former assistant police chief Nicholas Mueller, sued the city on Oct. 15.
Their counsel Cody Reinberg of St. Louis claimed the city terminated Shonte because she tried to clean up corruption.
Reinberg claimed the city terminated Nicholas because he protected her.
He claimed Shonte discovered Powell didn’t follow policies and procedures.
He claimed she reported fraudulent conduct to upper levels of city government and was told to leave it alone.
He claimed she received reports of potential disruptions and violence at the meeting and Nicholas went to ensure there was no breach of the peace.
The court clerk randomly assigned District Judge David Dugan to the Mueller case and Senior District Judge Phil Gilbert to the Powell case.