Joliet Junior College Meeting | November 12, 2025

Article Summary:
In a series of contentious votes, the Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees censured Trustee Maureen Broderick for two separate alleged policy violations and rejected her request to be returned to “good standing” following previous disciplinary actions.

Trustee Broderick Censures Key Points:

• The board voted 4-4, effectively defeating a motion to restore Trustee Broderick to “good standing” after 15 prior censures.

• The board then voted 6-2 to approve a new censure, alleging she waived attorney-client privilege by sharing a confidential document with a third party.

• A second new censure was approved, also 6-2, alleging she discussed information from a closed session during a public meeting.

• Trustees Broderick and Michelle Lee voted against both censures, arguing the actions were retaliatory and based on misinterpretations of board policy.

JOLIET, IL — Divisions on the Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees were on full display Wednesday, November 12, 2025, as the board voted to censure Trustee Maureen Broderick on two new charges and denied her motion to be restored to “good standing” after a string of prior censures.

The board first addressed a motion to return Broderick to good standing following 15 total censures issued in February 2024 and March 2025. Broderick argued her reelection in April demonstrated public support and should warrant a reset. However, several trustees, including Chairman James Budzinski and Trustee Alicia Morales, stated they had not seen a sufficient change in behavior to support the motion. The vote ended in a 4-4 tie, which caused the motion to fail.

The board then approved two new censures against Broderick. The first, which passed 6-2, accused her of violating attorney-client privilege by transmitting a privileged communication to a third party on September 2. Broderick defended her action, stating she had consulted with the Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) and was told she did nothing wrong in seeking an outside opinion on legal advice provided to the board. Board counsel disagreed, stating the matter was “pretty clear-cut.”

The second censure, also passing 6-2, was for discussing information from a closed session during the public portion of the October 15 meeting. The violation stemmed from Broderick’s use of the term “premium pricing” when referencing the Grundy County land acquisition. Broderick called the action “childish crap” and pointed out that college leadership had previously discussed the land purchase publicly.

Trustee Michelle Lee voted against both censures and defended Broderick throughout the debates. “This is like let’s attack Moren every single month,” Lee said, accusing the board of targeting Broderick for questioning leadership and doing her “fiduciary duty.”