Kainrath v. Grider

PRESIDING JUSTICE MIKVA delivered the judgment of the court, with opinion.

*305 ¶ 1 Plaintiffs, three municipal officeholders and current or former employees of the City of Burbank, Illinois, sued defendants Jay Grider and the Township of Stickney for defamation and false light. Plaintiffs alleged that Mr. Grider, in his capacity as the Stickney Township Assessor, sent a letter to newspapers, local officials, and others challenging plaintiffs' ethics and accusing them of illegally obtaining property exemptions, effectively causing homeowners in Burbank to pay more than their fair share in property…