Ex-Employee Sues to Block Village’s Purchase of Pope’s Home

The Chicago suburb of Dolton is trying to claim a piece of papal history, but a legal challenge said the village can’t afford it.

A former village employee asked a federal judge to block the village of Dolton from purchasing the childhood home of Pope Leo XIV, arguing the move is a wasteful use of public funds by a financially distressed municipality, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The motion, filed Sunday by Lavell Redmond, seeks a temporary restraining order preventing the village from bidding on or acquiring the house at 212 East 141st Place, where Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, lived until 1996. The home is listed for auction by Paramount Realty USA, with bids due Wednesday and a reserve price of $250,000.

In his motion to block the home purchase, Redmond claimed the village is “running large deficits while drowning in liabilities,” including unpaid vendor bills and pending settlements.

His attorney, Matthew Custardo, said in the filing that the village is pursuing a “novelty real estate purchase” with no compelling public necessity.

“Taxpayers deserve leadership that prioritizes obligations — not optics,” Custardo said in a statement Monday. “Pay your bills before you buy trophies.”

Mayor Jason House previously said the village may attempt to negotiate a sale with the owner, or pursue eminent domain if a deal cannot be reached. Village trustees have not discussed the purchase publicly, nor cited an exception to the Open Meetings Act for a closed session.

Redmond, who was fired by the village in 2022, is separately suing Dolton for wrongful termination, alleging he was dismissed in retaliation for an interview in the Daily Southtown, in which he alleged financial mismanagement and misconduct within village government.

Dolton’s hiring of Redmond, who previously served 24 years in prison and is a registered sex offender, sparked controversy over background checks in the village. Redmond said Dolton fired him shortly after his comments from the interview were published. His lawsuit, filed in federal court, claimed the firing violated his First Amendment rights.

Redmond’s motion does not seek to block a private sale of the property, only the village’s involvement. The owner, who bought the house in 2023 for $66,000, has renovated the home and initially listed it for $219,000 in January.

Since Prevost was elevated to pope on May 8, interest in the property has surged, prompting Dolton officials to station police outside the home due to increased public attention. The filing argues that the symbolic purchase would risk “irreparable harm” to village finances and contradict Dolton’s legal claims of financial hardship in other court proceedings.

Dolton’s mayor was elected this year following alleged scandals under the previous mayor, Tiffany Henyard, who was accused of lavish spending of public funds, abusing her power to retaliate against critics and stonewalling financial oversight.

Federal authorities served subpoenas amid allegations of extortion, misused police overtime, and questionable development deals. The allegations led to Henyard’s landslide defeat in the February election.

— Judah Duke