Rantoul village administrator enters second-chance program for domestic-violence charge

Mary Schenk, The News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
Updated ·2 min read

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URBANA — Rantoul Village Administrator Scott Eisenhauer will be able to avoid prosecution for a domestic-violence charge if he successfully completes the terms of a second-chance program within the next six weeks.

Eisenhauer, 58, agreed on Aug. 24 to participate in a diversionary program that calls for him to pay a $100 fine, perform 15 hours of public service and complete an online education course on conflict resolution within 60 days.

Assistant State's Attorney Toby Ortega, who negotiated that resolution with Eisenhauer's attorney, Jim Martinkus of Champaign, said if Eisenhauer complies with those terms, his domestic-violence case will be dismissed at a Nov. 2 hearing.

He has 60 days to complete the conditions. If for some reason he does not, the prosecution on the misdemeanor charges will go forward.

Ortega said both he and Eisenhauer's wife felt the resolution of the case in this manner was "fair."

The main benefit for Eisenhauer is that he will be able to retain his $110,000-a-year job with the village, which he's held since November 2018.

Eisenhauer was arrested June 12 at his Rantoul home and charged the next day with two counts of domestic battery alleging that he pushed his wife and pulled her hair while taking her cellphone from her, and one count of unlawful interference with domestic-violence reporting alleging that he tried to keep her from calling 911.

The fight was investigated by the Champaign County Sheriff's Office to avoid the appearance of any conflict by having Rantoul police respond.

Eisenhauer tendered his resignation the day after his arrest, but Mayor Chuck Smith and trustees declined to accept it until they had all the facts.

Instead, they put Eisenhauer on leave but brought him back to work six weeks later, even though the criminal case hadn't been resolved, citing the need for his help in the face of staff shortages.

Smith said at the inception of the case that if Eisenhauer were convicted, it would mean the end of his job. The agreement that allows Eisenhauer to escape prosecution is "a big incentive for him to get through this program," Ortega said.

Smith said Tuesday that the village administration is doing well following a rough patch at the beginning of the summer that included Eisenhauer's domestic strife; the fatal shooting of young man by a Rantoul police officer that was later deemed a justifiable use of force by the state's attorney's office; and the departure of the village controller for another job.

"In general, it's very good and we're back on track," Smith said. "He's back where he belongs and deeply regrets that it ever happened. He expressed that to me and to the board. It caused him a lot of embarrassment, both personally and politically."