RANTOUL — Village board members want more information before they decide whether to accept the resignation of the town’s well-liked village administrator after domestic battery charges were filed against him Monday evening.
Scott Eisenhauer tendered his resignation Tuesday afternoon in the wake of the previous evening’s incident in which he was involved in a domestic dispute with his wife at their Rantoul home.
At the monthly village board meeting Tuesday evening, Village President Chuck Smith said he had been informed by several trustees that they were not ready to accept the resignation.
“I would like to table Scott’s resignation until a later date,” Trustee Terry Workman said. “When I make a decision I would like to know all the facts of a situation ... and be able to evaluate. ... I do not know that at this time, so I do not want to accept this resignation until I have all the facts.”
Trustee Gary Wilson agreed, saying everyone makes mistakes they wish they could take back.
“As Trustee Workman said, once we get everything on the table and understand what took place, at that time we can make an intelligent and informed decision,” Wilson said.
Trustee Sam Hall asked if it’s known when additional facts might be available. Smith said he didn’t know.
Smith placed Eisenhauer on administrative Monday after he learned of the charges against him. He said the village administrator would remain on administrative leave “until we have a better understanding of what happened.”
Earlier, Smith said he was saddened by Eisenhauer’s decision to resign.
“It’s a deep wound. It really is,” he said. “Even though I don’t condone what he did, it’s hurtful. I’m sorry to lose him.”
Eisenhauer, 58, of Rantoul, appeared before Champaign County Judge Ben Dyer on Tuesday on two counts of domestic battery and one count of interfering with the reporting of domestic battery.
Dyer said Eisenhauer asked to be represented by the Champaign County public defender’s office, but he doesn’t qualify.
The judge gave him time to hire his own attorney, and ordered him to be back in court June 27.
As a condition of his bond, Eisenhauer can’t have any contact with his wife.
According to a Champaign County sheriff’s office report, Eisenhauer’s wife said she and her husband were arguing about marital issues Monday and she told him she was moving out.
“In response, he dumped the contents of her purse out, got in her face screaming at her, pushed her down onto the couch and hit her in the face,” the report states. “She told him she was calling police, and as she was calling 911, he grabbed the phone from her, pulling out some of her hair in the process.”
The report also states Eisenhauer’s wife reported her husband had been physical with her in the past when she threatened to leave, “pinning her down to prevent her from going.”
The sheriff’s office said Eisenhauer made a statement to deputies and admitted that he had come home upset because his wife didn’t want to go with him on a family trip.
“He said he started yelling at her as soon as she came home, admitted dumping the contents of her purse out and throwing her clothes on the floor,” the report states. “He admitted grabbing the phone from her when she tried to call 911 in order to prevent her from calling police out of concern for his career and admitted pulling her hair when he did so.”
Domestic battery and interfering with reporting domestic battery are both misdemeanors punishable by probation or up to a year in jail.
The sheriff’s office was asked by Rantoul police to handle this case.
Eisenhauer was hired by the village in November 2018 and earns about $110,000 per year.
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