A packed Thornton Township meeting Tuesday that began in high spirits devolved into a brawl after residents got up to speak.

Chaos erupted during the public comment period near the end of the two-hour meeting, after community activist Jedidiah Brown called Supervisor Tiffany Henyard an expletive.

Following Brown’s comments disparaging Henyard both personally and politically, Brown walked toward the table where the supervisor and other township officials were seated before spinning around toward the back of the building, where the fight then broke out.

Henyard was seen running into the melee between her administration’s defenders and those supporting Brown. Private security officers at the Township Hall in South Holland called police, who said Wednesday morning they had not made any arrests as those involved left the building before they arrived.

Township Trustees Gonzalez, Carmen Carlisle and Stephanie Wiedeman, who was voted into the seat just last week, condemned the violence but did not blame any individuals.

“We are deeply disturbed by the events that transpired during last night’s board meeting,” the trustees said in a statement Wednesday morning. “As public officials, we are entrusted with leading through professionalism, integrity and respect. What began as a productive discussion on critical community matters descended into chaos and violence, behavior that has no place in Thornton Township and will not be tolerated.”

Nate Fields, an Independent candidate for supervisor in the April 1 township election, posted on social media the fight was “another disturbing display of intimidation and hostility under the current administration.”

Fields said Henyard’s boyfriend, who also serves in her administration, showed aggression toward Brown after he “exercised his right as a citizen to address the Supervisor.”

“This behavior is not only unbecoming of public officials and their affiliates, but it also reflects the low-class tactics that have plagued this administration,” Fields wrote in his Facebook post. “The office of Thornton Township Supervisor is one of leadership, service, and community trust, not a stage for bullying and harassment.”

The violence came about six months after Brown was arrested after providing public comment at a Dolton meeting, where Henyard is mayor.

There, he made critical comments toward Trustee Andrew Holmes, an ally of Henyard’s, and began walking toward him, leading police to push the two men apart and arrest Brown. Brown said that Holmes cussed at him and beckoned him.

Before Tuesday’s brawl, the board unanimously approved plans for property, equipment and auto insurance after a months long lapse forced the township to shut down buildings and halt running buses and vans used to transport senior residents to their medical appointments. Henyard said the township would be able to resume all operations Wednesday morning.

Henyard has repeatedly blamed the lack of insurance on township Trustees Chris Gonzalez and Carmen Carlisle’s repeated absences from previous meetings and continued to do so Tuesday.

“The township should not have to have become gridlocked without insurance and without services to you residents,” Henyard said. “All the two trustees had to do is just show up.”

Tuesday marked the first scheduled meeting with Wiedeman, seen as a fresh face aligned with trustees who oppose the supervisor’s administration.

During the meeting, Wiedeman helped usher in audits of township departments and officials, items trustees previously lacked the votes to approve. That included hiring investigators to look into finances and contracts for the Outreach Department and use of grant money and potential township funds for the At-Risk Youth Department.

Henyard opposed both proposals, saying they were unnecessary because the board already approved an audit of all township departments in September. Meanwhile, Henyard’s item to move forward with a forensic audit proposal of former Thornton Township administrator Keith Freeman’s credit card and Trustee Carlisle’s use of the card from accounting firm Eide Bailly failed.

“It saddens my heart that people don’t want to move forward on something they voted to do, claiming they want to be transparent,” Henyard said.

Carlisle said she voted against the proposal not because she opposed the investigation, but because Henyard failed to take the same step in the township department audit.

Other proposals of Henyards that failed Tuesday included “100% property tax refund for all homeowners” and bonuses for all township employees, both of which have regularly topped the agendas of meetings for the last few months.

Ahead of the vote on bonuses, Wiedeman addressed township employees directly, saying she would like to revisit the proposal.

“I just feel like we need to get through the budget first, make sure that the financials are where we need them to be, to be able to do this stuff,” Wiedeman said.

The township has operated without an updated budget for almost a year, with trustees now focusing on crafting one for the upcoming fiscal year, which starts in April. The board approved a tax levy Tuesday for the township’s general fund and general assistance fund, which Henyard said she opposed because her own budget proposal had not yet been passed.

Following discussion of complaints against members of Henyard’s administration, William Moore and Kamal Woods, in closed session, the board also voted to put the two on paid administrative leave.

Many residents during public comment congratulated Wiedeman and thanked her for also pushing back against agenda items proposed by Henyard that mostly failed Tuesday.

ostevens@chicagotribune.com