Excerpts from OakLawnLeaf.com: An eight-year conflict between the Oak Lawn firefighters and Village Manager Larry Deetjen, primarily revolving around staffing disputes, has escalated into serious allegations including "phone sex," "theft of union funds," and "sex acts while on duty." This ongoing tension has now taken a dramatic turn as the village finds itself at the center of a legal and public relations storm. Last week, the Village of Oak Lawn unexpectedly released a press statement revealing that firefighter and former union official Bob Lanz had filed a motion for a temporary restraining order against the village. The purpose of the motion was to halt or delay the investigation into whether Lanz violated the village’s policies regarding sexual harassment. The press release stated, “The village recently became aware of information suggesting that one of its firefighter/paramedics may have violated the village’s policies, including the policy against sexual harassment, by engaging in phone sex while on duty on multiple occasions. No employee should ever have to witness or listen to the sex acts of a co-worker while on duty.†According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), sexual harassment is defined as “unlawful behavior toward an applicant or employee because of their sex, which can include unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature.†What makes this case unusual, according to internal sources, is that no employee has officially complained about Lanz's alleged behavior. The only reference to harassment comes from the vague statement in the press release that “no employee should ever have to witness or listen to sex acts of a co-worker while on duty.†Despite this, Lanz is currently serving a five-day suspension, which he is challenging through his union—of which he was once a high-ranking member during several lawsuits and arbitration cases over minimum staffing levels. A confidential source revealed that Deetjen initially accused Lanz of misusing union funds. At Deetjen’s request, the village contacted the Cook County State’s Attorney, alleging that Lanz had illegally used these funds. However, insiders pointed out that the funds in question were not village or taxpayer money. The current union leadership never pursued criminal or civil action against Lanz, nor did they report the matter to the State’s Attorney or the village. Deetjen later claimed that a disgruntled firefighter had reported the issue to the Oak Lawn Police, who then contacted the State’s Attorney’s Office. The union is now representing Lanz in the dispute with the village. After an investigation, the Cook County State’s Attorney found no evidence to support charges of theft or any criminal activity. This isn’t the first time Deetjen has made high-profile claims that didn’t hold up under scrutiny. Soon after the state’s attorney declined to pursue the case, Deetjen reportedly claimed that an unnamed firefighter—later identified as Lanz—was being investigated for a “sex act†while on duty. What was referred to as a “sex act†weeks ago is now known to be an allegation of “phone sex.†According to our source, Deetjen has no concrete evidence that a “sex act†occurred, but he has labeled the act of calling certain numbers as “sex acts.†To date, no other employee has filed a formal harassment claim, though the village’s press release described the alleged behavior as “sexual misconduct.†A person familiar with the case said that Deetjen reviewed the union’s documents and cross-referenced expenditures with internet searches, discovering that two of the charges were linked to companies offering phone sex services. Based on this, the fire chief issued Lanz a notice requiring him to provide his cell phone records and credit card statements to investigate whether he had engaged in “phone sex†while on duty. Over a week ago, Lanz received two disciplinary notices. One was a formal “Notice of Interrogation and Order,†demanding that he produce personal credit card and cell phone records related to an investigation into “inappropriate financial transactions and engaging in inappropriate sex-related activities while on duty and working for the village on multiple occasions.†Cook County Circuit Court Judge Diane Larson became involved when Lanz filed a motion for a temporary restraining order to delay the handover of his records. A temporary restraining order requires proof of “irrevocable harm†if it is to be granted. Judge Larson ruled that Lanz would not suffer such harm and denied the motion. She did not address the merits of the underlying allegations. Judge Larson also suggested that the village delay the interrogation until at least January 7th. As of the deadline, it remained unclear whether the village would proceed with the investigation today. 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