A county judge has dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by Michael E. McKinnon, the board chairman at the College of DuPage, against three female former trustees who allege that he sexually harassed them during their time on the board, the Daily Herald, a newspaper covering suburban Chicago, reports.
Mr. McKinnon is seeking re-election as the board chairman of DuPage, a large community college in suburban Chicago, and he filed a $6-million defamation lawsuit after the women made their allegations.
One of the women, in turn, sued Mr. McKinnon, litigation that includes a battery complaint and is still pending. The board has been a source of turmoil at the college in recent months.
The judge who dismissed the defamation suit, Joseph Bongiorno of the DuPage County Court, ruled that the women had immunity under a relatively new state law that raises the bar for suing public officials, according to the newspaper. —Paul Fain
