Road Commissioner Sued By 2 Men - Ages 81 and 63 - He Allegedly Beat Up Over Snowplow Complaint

The New Lenox Township Road Commissioner was sued by men he allegedly beat up after they complained about a snowplow knocking over their mailboxes.

Dennis McPartlin, 65, remains the top man in the township’s road department despite both the civil suit and the criminal case filed against him in Will County court.

McPartlin was arrested and charged with battery in February for allegedly attacking two men at the highway department. The criminal case remains pending.

According to the lawsuit, the two men, James Haddon and Dennis Baldauf, called the township garage after a snowplow knocked over their mailboxes. A receptionist told them to stop by and file a complaint.

At the time, Haddon was 81 and Baldauf was 63, the lawsuit said. After they arrived at the garage, McPartlin allegedly “appeared and shouted that there was nothing wrong with the township’s trucks and none of their trucks had been damaged.”

Haddon, who had brought along some of the pieces of his ruined mailbox, “suggested the color of the material found matched the township’s trucks’ color,” the suit said, and McPartlin responded by “screaming and push(ing) (Haddon), causing him to fall to the ground on his knee; and then (McPartlin) picked up (Haddon) by his jacket collar and dragged him towards the door.”

Baldauf then stepped in and told McPartlin to leave the elderly Haddon alone, the lawsuit said. McPartlin “pushed (Baldauf) towards the door, then grabbed him with both hands and shoved him backwards while shouting obscenities at him.”

McPartlin did immediately respond to a call for comment.