Resident Challenges Lyons Township High Hopeful's Petition

LA GRANGE, IL – A resident is challenging the ballot petition for Lyons Township High School board candidate Paula Struwing.

Struwing, an incumbent who filed to run in the April 1 election, was appointed to the board last May. A Willow Springs resident, she is the only member who lives south of Joliet Road.

Objecting to her petition is Brian Hennessy, who lives in an unincorporated area between Burr Ridge and Willow Springs.

His challenge, filed with the Cook County Clerk's Office, states that Struwing failed to file a statement of candidacy with her petition.

Hennessy said her statement of economic interest failed to include the complete name of the office she is seeking.

In that statement, Struwing listed the office as "Member Board of Education," but failed to indicate which board, Hennessy said. He noted Lyons Township High School is not the only school district that includes her address.

He said these issues were "fatal" defects and asked that the clerk's office's electoral board exclude Struwing's name from the ballot.

A hearing on Hennessy's objection is set for 2:30 p.m. Thursday in the county office building at 69 W. Washington St. in Chicago.

Patch could find little information online about Hennessy. On his Facebook page, he lists himself as self-employed and occasionally posts conservative memes.

It is unclear why he apparently examined Struwing's petition or whether any of the other five candidates asked him to object.

Hennessy did not return a message left on his Facebook page.

In response to Patch's inquiry, Struwing said she did not know who Hennessy was. She said she had no further comment.

For April's election, six candidates are vying for four school board positions. They are incumbents Struwing and Gioia Giannotti Frye and challengers Elias Lopez, Christine Kozelka Campbell, Shawn Kennedy and Arlene Farolan Cabana.

Three months after being appointed, Struwing angered some Willow Springs residents when she publicly questioned the village's handling of the high school's effort to sell its local land to an industrial developer, contrary to zoning. She also suggested Willow Springs consider rezoning the property.

Many residents joined the village in opposing a land deal with an industrial developer. After facing wrath on social media, Struwing, a high school teacher in another district, accused her critics of "spinning a narrative."