Lifetime Ban From Old Joliet Prison For Ex-Employee: 'Instruct Greg Peerbolte To Tear Up This Bogus Ban!'

JOLIET, IL — Can you imagine the thought of being banned for the rest of your natural life from ever setting foot inside one of Joliet's most revered properties, such as the world-famous Old Joliet Prison where actors John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd filmed the 1980 musical comedy "Blues Brothers?"

That is the daily reality for Christine Johnson, a former Joliet Area Historical Museum worker at the Old Joliet Prison.

She, along with six others, received notification a few years ago that they are banned for the rest of their lives from the Old Joliet Prison property thanks to a decision made by Greg Peerbolte, the museum's chief executive officer.

On Tuesday night, for the first time in a while, Johnson appeared at the Joliet City Council meeting to voice her frustrations with the city concerning Peerbolte and the Joliet Area Historical Museum operations.

"Good evening, mayor, city manager and members of the Council," Johnson began her remarks. "Of course, I'm Christine Johnson, and I'm here standing before you tonight to address 'the ban.'

"For months, whenever anybody brought up the sweeping, arbitrary property bans instituted by the Joliet Area Historical Museum, the response from this Council has been to ignore us in hopes that we just fade away. We have been told that JAHM is an untouchable private 501c3 nonprofit ... and the city cannot get involved. Tonight, I'm placing multiple certified FOIA requests, an official ruling from the state of Illinois and relevant documents into the official record that dismantle that narrative ... I didn't realize that the private nonprofit was eligible to obtain free legal services courtesy of the Joliet taxpayers. And the sheer panic behind this cover up is almost comical.

"When I received my personnel file from JAHM, I found a copy of Peerbolte's internal memo actively instructing his own board members that they are forbidden from speaking with any banned individuals. Nothing says I don't have anything to hide quite like putting a gag order on your own oversight board."

Johnson revealed on Tuesday night how she ultimately was awarded full unemployment benefits from the Illinois Department of Employment Security after the state agency investigated the claims brought against her.

"There were absolutely zero evidence to support these absurd accusations," Johnson pronounced. "Yet the city's legal department and resources were used to prepare an unconstitutional lifetime ban based on a complete lie."

Johnson went on to say that she obtained tickets to attend the Joliet Slammers historic baseball game played on the field of the Old Joliet Prison back in April, an event attended by several thousand people.

"My husband and I purchased tickets and attended the Slammers game in April. We entered through the east gate, passed through security peacefully and enjoyed baseball for three and a half hours. I was approached by Greg Peerbolte and my husband and I were kicked out at his direction, using JPD officers, on duty, of course. FOIA responses regarding this incident revealed there was no record of a 911 call, no record of a police or incident report and zero body cam footage. Most importantly, there is no formal record of a no trespass order against me on file with JPD."

Johnson called her situation a "personal vindicative vendetta."

The YouTube version of the Joliet City Council meeting silenced Johnson's subsequent remarks for the next several seconds and then resumed with her saying, "Instruct Greg Peerbolte to tear up this bogus ban or tear up his city funding," Johnson said, raising her voice. "It's never too late to mend. Thank you."

At end of Tuesday night's meeting, Councilman Larry Hug remarked, "Look, I know we don't have control over the museum and their management ... but we account for the majority of their purse strings and I can't believe this silliness has been going on for, has it been four years now, five? Three years.

"I tell you what, when you drive someone out who's peacefully watching a baseball game, that's personal, petty immature vindictiveness," Hug declared. "I cannot sit quiet about that. Please, Beth (Beatty), see what you can do. They made some good points tonight, too, that actually works against his case and our case.

"There seems to be no mismanagement here at the city," Hug continued. "There seems to be mismanagement at the historical museum. We have leverage we can put on them. You have my full support, Beth. Put the leverage on them. There's no reason these folks should not be allowed back in like every other Joliet resident, every other Will County resident."

Related Joliet Patch coverage of this controversy:

Beth Beatty Scolds Ex-Joliet Prison Worker: 'OK, We're Going To Stop This Right Now'

'Thank You, And I Am Not A Criminal': Old Joliet Prison Ex-Volunteer

Scandalous Accusations Against Joliet Area Historical Museum