Plainfield board censures Trustee Robert Reminga after disputed social-media post
The board voted 4-1 to formally rebuke Reminga, ask him to resign, and restrict his committee service if he stays. Reminga denied creating the circulating image and refused to step down. The image's origin and posting history remain unverified in the official material reviewed here.
Observed in the township's published meeting video; awaiting official minutes or another official action record.
Township meeting video: Watch the roll-call vote at 10:50
Official record status: Censure recorded; official minutes pending
Video record: The recorded roll call was Batey, Coleman, Morrow, and Pfaff voting yes, with Reminga voting no.
The story
Why this decision matters
Why the meeting was called
Supervisor Tom Coleman opened the special meeting by saying the board was there to consider action regarding a board member's statements. He said the board could censure an elected official but could not remove one from office. Meeting purpose at 4:36
What Reminga said
Reminga said the circulating image was not his creation and that people had told him it was photoshopped. Later, he said he would not resign and that voters would have to remove him. Reminga's response at 5:00
What remains unknown
The township video records competing statements about the image, but the official material reviewed for this draft does not establish who created, altered, or posted it. Claims made during public comment are not treated as verified findings. Watch the denial
Who commented—and what they raised
How trustees responded
- The prepared resolution censured Reminga, requested his immediate written resignation, and barred him from board or township committees through the rest of his term if he does not resign. Resolution at 9:44
- Statements from absent Clerk Steve McKellar and Trustee Jack Hagedorn, read by Coleman, condemned the attributed posts and supported board action. Board statements at 13:40
What happened
The township video records Batey, Coleman, Morrow, and Pfaff voting yes and Reminga voting no: a 4-1 adoption of the censure resolution.
Watch the vote at 10:50What happens next: The action remains provisional on Civic Desk until official minutes or the signed resolution are available. Reminga may resign, remain in office with the committee restriction, or face a voter-led recall effort.
This article uses only Plainfield Township's published meeting video and a reviewed local machine transcript. It is not official minutes, and the origin or authenticity of the disputed image was not independently established.
Issue timeline 2 recorded events Expand
- Censure adopted in township video; official minutes pending
- Board approval observed Provisional Watch the roll-call vote at 10:50
The township video records the action, but official minutes and a signed resolution were not available when this draft was prepared.
Unofficial meeting readout
What was said at the meeting
Expand
Unofficial meeting readout
What was said at the meeting
Generated from the township's published video. This is not an official transcript or approved minutes and may contain transcription errors.
The board considered statements attributed to Trustee Robert Reminga on social media. Reminga denied creating the circulating image and refused to resign. The board adopted a censure resolution and then heard lengthy public comment.
Key details
- The resolution censured Reminga, requested his immediate written resignation, and provided for removal from committee service for the rest of his term if he did not resign.
- Reminga said the image was not his creation and said others had described it to him as photoshopped. 5:00
- Reminga said he would not resign and told residents they would have to vote him out. 11:16
Questions or concerns raised
- Public comments largely condemned the attributed rhetoric, discussed harm to Muslim residents, and called for resignation or recall.
- The official record reviewed here does not establish who created, altered, or posted the disputed image. 5:00
What happened
The township video records a 4-1 vote adopting the censure resolution. The result is provisional pending official minutes or a signed resolution. 10:50
Review notes: Only the township-published video and locally generated transcript were used. Public-comment claims were not independently verified. Likely speaker labels may contain errors. Official minutes and a signed resolution were not available during review.
Relevant transcript excerpts
That meme that was going around with my name pasted on it was not of my creation. I've got calls from a few of my people that said it was photoshopped, and, yeah, I wouldn't put anything mean like that up there.
Neither this body nor the township has the authority to remove from office an elected official. That authority belongs to the voters in our community... The only mechanism at our disposal is to censure Mr. Reminga.
For the reasons specified above, the township board hereby censures township board trustee Robert Reminga... The township board formally requests that Mr. Reminga resign his township office in writing immediately. If Mr. Reminga does not formally resign... the township board hereby approves prohibiting Mr. Reminga from serving on any committees of the board or the township until his term expires.
Mrs. Batey? Yes. Mr. Coleman? Yes. Mrs. Morrow? Yes. Mr. Pfaff? Yes. Mr. Reminga? No.
That whole unfortunate disaster was not in my making. Number two, I'm not going to resign... Vote me out if that's what you want to do.
I'm going to close the floor for public comments... We did what we could today. That's the only arrows in our quiver. We need you to do what comes next.
Accuracy note
Civic Desk summarizes public records to make local issues easier to follow. Mistakes, omissions, or outdated details are possible, especially when an issue is still moving through meetings. Before relying on an item for an important decision, verify the details in the linked source documents or with the township directly.
Many commenters condemned anti-Muslim rhetoric, described fear or harm to Muslim residents and families, thanked the board for acting, and urged resignation or a voter recall. Public comment begins
Raised an objection about advance notice for the special meeting. The transcript does not resolve the legal merits of that objection. 31:14
Some speakers described purported copies or histories of social-media material. Those statements remain attributed claims and were not independently verified for this issue. 56:36