For the past half-century, a tree-lined stretch of 48th Street in La Grange was named Linklater Court in memory of the west suburb’s longtime village attorney William John Linklater, who died in 1971.
Yet the La Grange Village Board recently stripped the street of this honorary moniker after the late lawyer’s daughter accused him of sexually abusing her as a child during a stunning public comment session at a Village Board meeting.
Anne Brandt, 79, at a late June meeting, implored village officials to remove the street’s honorary name, alleging her father had sexually abused her as a child during the 1950s.
“I am the daughter of William Linklater for whom the street is named. William Linklater groomed me and sexually abused me from when I was approximately 5 years old until I was 10 years old in our home,” Brandt told the Village Board. “For the village of La Grange to change Linklater Court back to its original name of 48th Street would be an outward sign that La Grange does not … honor pedophiles. It would be a sign that this current board recognizes the rights of the injured…the innocents and those without a voice.”
At least one family member, however, disputes Brandt’s claims of abuse.
Erin Linklater Palumbo, a granddaughter of the late village attorney, said in an email to the Tribune that “the family vociferously disagrees with the unfounded and unsupported allegations made by Ms. Brandt.”
In a recent letter to the La Grange board of trustees, Palumbo said the designation of Linklater Court had been “an honorary distinction that brought our family great pride.”
Palumbo’s letter requested a formal apology from the village of La Grange “affirming that the Village does not endorse or affirm the serious and unproven allegations made by Ms. Brandt,” and that village officials share this “clarification” with news media that have reported on the street sign name change.
“This action has caused unnecessary harm to our family and has diminished the legacy of a man who served La Grange with integrity,” the letter said.
The letter did not ask La Grange officials to reverse the decision to change the street name.
Despite her family’s public disagreement, Brandt remains firm in her resolve.
“Denial is a protective mechanism for families but it does not alter the truth of the survivor,” she said in response to Palumbo’s comments.
When contacted by the Tribune, another daughter of William John Linklater confirmed that Brandt is her sister but declined to comment on Brandt’s allegations.
At the June board meeting, Brandt had asked the board to join her “in taking a stand” against sexual abuse.
“As a member of the Linklater family and a childhood abuse survivor, I am determined to have the name removed. The name was changed from 48th Street to honor the man, who was village attorney, for his years of service,” Brandt added. “I am asking for the change back to 48th Street to honor all the current and past victims of this silent global pandemic of childhood sexual abuse. … Honoring an abuser needs to be corrected.”
Shortly after her comments, a village trustee thanked Brandt “for being so brave to come here tonight and share,” though the board did not discuss the issue during that meeting.
La Grange resident Nancy Kenney, a friend of Brandt, also spoke to the board in favor of changing the street name.
Kenney told the board she had known Brandt “almost all my life,” adding that they both taught at a local parochial school years ago and Brandt later worked for Kenney’s real estate company. Although Brandt lives out of state, she still holds an Illinois real estate license, according to Illinois records.
“I learned about Anne’s situation some years ago. So it’s been going on for a long time, or it was when she was a little girl. And I hope that we can help her,” Kenney said during the public comment session. “To us, the name Linklater Court is just a name. … To Anne, it would make a huge difference in her life. And I think that she deserves that. She grew up in La Grange, went to local schools and is a wonderful person. … So I hope that all of you can help her so she can be at peace.”
At a meeting in mid-July, the Village Board unanimously approved an ordinance reverting the street name back to 48th Street.
The ordinance does not cite Brandt or her allegations against her father, though it does say that the village “has received a request” to drop the honorary name.
“Consideration of the change was prompted by Anne Linklater, who is a daughter of Mr. Linklater,” added La Grange Village Manager Jack Knight in an email to the Tribune.
The ordinance also noted that the village “has authority to assign names to any street, road, avenue, alley, or other public place under its jurisdiction,” according to Illinois municipal code.
The Village Board did not discuss the ordinance, which was on the consent agenda, before voting. The village president and trustees did not return Tribune requests for comment on why they voted for the street name change nor did they respond to Palumbo’s statements disputing Brandt’s allegations.
The street signs have already been changed back to reflect the new ordinance, Knight said.
Brandt, who was born and raised in La Grange, traveled back to her hometown to speak to the board in June and then again in July to witness the board voting to remove her father’s name from the street designation.
During a recent interview with the Tribune, Brandt said she was grateful to La Grange staff and the Village Board for changing the street name.
“I can’t say enough about how the board handled this whole thing and how they treated me. They were just kind and attentive and respectful,” she said. “The town acted like I hoped the town would. … It felt so good and I felt so supported.”
Brandt said four people have sent her photos of the new street signs, which she said she was happy to view.
Her father was village attorney from 1954 to 1971, according to La Grange village records. A segment of 48th Street had been named Linklater Court through the passage of a village ordinance in 1975, Knight said.
Brandt’s mother, Jean Connell Linklater, was a “lifelong resident of La Grange” who graduated from Loyola University School of Law and died in 1986, according to her obituary in the Tribune.
She and William John Linklater had two daughters and a son, the obituary said; their son, former Chicago Bar President William “Joe” Linklater, died a few months ago, according to his obituary.
“This whole mission is not against my mother or my father,” Brandt added. “This is for current victims and past victims of child sexual abuse. Including myself. I’m doing it for my young self and for all the others who can’t speak up, who maybe don’t have a voice.”
