The mayor and board trustees have taken action against a trustee in Wauconda who they say made “inappropriate comments” to police officers during a traffic stop where her husband was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Wauconda Mayor Jeff A. Sode said in a statement to the residents of Wauconda that Trustee Nicole Strauts was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by officers of the Wauconda Police Department.
During the traffic stop captured by the officer’s body-worn camera, Strauts questioned protocols, threatened to sue the village, and complained about being assaulted during a previous confrontation with a resident.
Sode said the incident between police and Strauts needed to be addressed at a board level due to the amount of attention the incident has attracted on the internet.
“The police report has garnered much attention on social media, and I have received many phone calls from concerned Wauconda residents inquiring about the incident,” he said.
Nicole Strauts was not charged or cited in the incident with police, but Sode said he reviewed body camera footage of the stop and found many of the comments made to the officers by her were inappropriate.
During the incident, officers determined her husband, Jeffrey, smelled of a strong odor of alcohol when he was pulled over regarding a separate matter. Jeffrey Strauts refused to take a field sobriety test during the traffic stop and was placed under arrest on suspicion of DUI.
He has since been charged with a Class A misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of alcohol and is due back in court on Sept 18.
Before her husband’s arrest, Nicole Strauts tried to file a complaint with the police officer claiming a resident reached into her truck and attempted to steal her phone as she was taking pictures of an alleged code violation near her home, Strauts said on the video.
The officer listened to the complaint but questioned whether the trustee was intentionally trying to antagonize the neighbor when taking the picture. Following some back and forth, he ended the conversation and focused on the traffic stop.
After Jeffrey Strauts was placed under arrest on the video, Nicole Strauts told the officer he had always been disrespectful towards her, and she then threatened to sue the police department.
She also mentioned a previous incident when she and the officer had met.
“Our wedding night, we actually met,” Nicole Strauts said.
After saying he forgot about that incident, he responded, “Again, I was called there, not just showing up.”
Sode said actions on display by Nicole Strauts fracture the relationship between employees and the village board. “Moreover, these interactions have the potential to erode the public trust.”
“As elected officials at the top of the organizational chart, we should treat our employees with respect in all situations and follow the chain of command and appropriate processes if we are not satisfied with services or employee performance,” he said.
During the Aug. 4 Wauconda village board meeting, Sode removed Nicole Strauts from her appointment as chair of the Wauconda Natural Resources committee.
During the portion of the meeting reserved for trustees to speak, Strauts did not apologize for her role in the incident, but said she lost “her cool” during the traffic stop after being physically assaulted 30 minutes earlier.
“I have never been kicked out of any establishment, never been evicted from any property I rented from, and on Sunday, July 13, I broke no laws,” Strauts said to the board. “After months of having my civil liberties trampled on, I did lose my cool after already being physically assaulted 30 minutes previously.”
She added, “I have always separated my personal life from my professional decisions, and I will continue to do so until I end my term on this board.”
Sode said he worked with the village administrator and the police chief to review Strauts’ concerns regarding the village’s alleged code enforcement failures.
“I find that the Village has adequately addressed its codes and followed proper protocols,” the mayor said.
“Trustee Strauts has been duly elected by the voters of the Village of Wauconda,” he added. “I suggest she take this opportunity to reflect upon and learn from this situation.”