Accusations against Oak Park cop go back years

In the wake of last week’s resignation by Oak Park police Sergeant Dina Vardal, specifics are surfacing regarding the extent of her alleged misconduct involving multiple police subordinates over several years.

Those allegations of sexual and physical abuse led to Vardal receiving departmental discipline on at least three occasions and to the current federal lawsuit brought against her and the village of Oak Park by a fellow officer who claims to have been victimized by Vardal. 

Vardal’s resignation last week allegedly involved an unrelated incident concerning an interaction with a probationary officer who resigned months ago. Vardal had been on paid administrative leave from the department for nine months prior to her resignation.

Officer Rasul Freelain filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Vardal and the village in May, 2013. Two other officers were reportedly abused by Vardal. Both are listed as potential witnesses in Freelain’s lawsuit.

Vardal, while a field training officer, already had a reputation for sexual advances and involvement with probationary officers before being promoted to sergeant in June 2005. Within a year or so of her promotion, Vardal allegedly walked up to an officer in a bar after work and “grabbed his crotch,” according to a witness.

The alleged assault was witnessed by another Oak Park officer who reported Vardal’s misconduct to police administrators. That reportedly resulted in her receiving a five-day suspension. 

Numerous sources say that officer continued to endure repeated harassment by Vardal despite her being disciplined. He eventually left the force in 2008 and joined another suburban police department.

In a separate incident an officer was allegedly assaulted by Vardal at the Maybrook Courthouse in either May or December of 2012. Freelain testified that another officer told him he was present during the incident.

The witness, Freelain testified, told him he saw “Vardal yell at [the officer], take her two hands and press them against [his] chest, shove him, push him against the doors at court or a wall at court and beg[in] to verbally berate him.”

In his deposition Freelain was asked, “Did [the witness] complain to you that he had experienced retaliation at the hands of the village as a result of complaining?”

“Only from a witness,” Freelain answered. 

Asked what he was told, Freelain said, “That he was disciplined. After reporting her, he was disciplined. I don’t know if that’s a suspension or what form of discipline that was, but that he was punished by the village and the police department after reporting her misconduct.”

Sources say Vardal was suspended for three days for the incident at Maybrook.

Freelain’s lawsuit against Vardal and the village alleges that the police sergeant sexually harassed Freelain over a period of years. After he filed a formal complaint against Vardal with police department superiors in May 2012, Freelain alleges that Vardal then physically assaulted him while he was on duty at the Austin Boulevard stop of the Blue Line el. 

Wednesday Journal has reported that Freelain later turned down a settlement offer from the village, preferring to have his case heard in open court. 

In a recently released deposition prepared for the coming trial, Freelain testified that while Vardal’s alleged harassment and abuse were difficult to deal with, police brass were just as bad. Former Sgt. Anthony Thomas, the officer ordered to investigate Freelain, supports that opinion. 

Thomas is a 25-year veteran who resigned from the force earlier this year. He served 14 years as a task force officer on loan to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, was an Oak Park gang intelligence officer and holds numerous certifications including special weapons and tactics and is a certified instructor and Rapid Deployment Team leader. He now manages his own security consulting corporation. 

Thomas investigated Freelain after he began taking extended Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) time off to care for his wife who had cancer. The previous spring Freelain had filed a complaint against Vardal for sexual harassment and then for an alleged battery on May 19, 2012. That battery reportedly was witnessed by Freelain’s immediate supervisor, Sgt. John Curtain.

“What happened was they didn’t want Sgt. Curtain working directly with Rasul,” Thomas said. “[So] they put him under me.”

Thomas recalls once writing Freelain’s medical status on a report as “sick accident,” a status entitling Freelain to be paid for his time off. 

“We got screamed at [by police brass],” Thomas recalled, saying he was told to change Freelain’s status to “self sick,” which required Freelain to use his accrued sick, personal or comp time to be paid.

“I felt that was harassment [of Freelain],” said Thomas, who also contends the police department had no right to contact an officer on medical leave.

“He was on medical and we weren’t supposed to contact him,” Thomas said. “[Human Resources] was supposed to do that contacting. But we were forced to anyway.”

In his deposition Freelain expressed his belief that Thomas was only following orders, saying “he was instructed to write me up in retaliation against me, not that it was his desire, but that it was the desire of command staff to use him to retaliate against me.”

Freelain said there was no reason to investigate him. 

“I think at that point human resources had already been contacted, had already authorized the time; and my response was I was taking my wife to the doctor. We’re preparing for surgery,” Freelain said.

Journal requests for comments on the Vardal case were sent by e-mail to Police Chief Rick Tanksley and Deputy Chief Anthony Ambrose. 

A response was received from David Powers, Oak Park’s village spokesman, saying the police officials were unable to comment on either personnel matters or matters involving pending litigation.