Hinsdale D-86 Apology Owed To Residents: Official

BURR RIDGE, IL – Hinsdale High School District 86 owes an apology for its statement in response to allegations that Hinsdale Central baseball players uttered racial slurs, a board member said last week.

At a board meeting, member Jeff Waters said the district's communications director, Chris Jasculca, was "very quick" to release information to the media.

That information, he said, "became a narrative of perceived guilt" of the baseball players.

The information was "proven inaccurate and false, which certainly was not your intent, nor am I indicating that it was," Waters said, referring to Jasculca.

"As fast as you were to engage with the press, you are expected by this board member on behalf of the community that was slighted to issue an apology," Waters said.

In an email to Patch on Monday, Jasculca said he had no comment on Waters' statement. But he said he wanted to clarify something that was said during the public comments portion of the meeting.

"Any statements about the incident that were issued to the press were made in coordination and collaboration with people conducting the investigation," he said.

In late May, Patch came across a resident's complaint alleging Central baseball players made racial slurs during an April 21 away game at Lyons Township High School.

Patch asked Jasculca, who is the district's spokesman, about the allegations. He replied with a written statement.

"We are deeply troubled by the allegations that members of the baseball team from Hinsdale Central may have engaged in inappropriate and offensive behavior that included the use of racial slurs," Jasculca said in an email. "This type of behavior does not align with what we value and believe in as a district, and will not be tolerated."

He said District 86 was working with Lyons Township to investigate the matter.

A week later, Hinsdale Central Principal Bill Walsh told Patch that his school's investigation found no evidence to back up an allegation that its baseball players used racial slurs.

He acknowledged fans from both sides heckled each other, becoming inappropriate at times.

Lyons Township High School agreed with Central's conclusion on the allegations of racial slurs.

Patch was the only news outlet that reported on the district's initial statement. It was the first to report Walsh's statement that the allegations were unfounded.

Weeks later, the Chicago Tribune reported on the controversy. It quoted Walsh as saying that a local news outlet "incorrectly insinuated" that Central players took part in the alleged racial remarks.

Patch's story was based on the statement from the district's central office, to which Walsh reports.

Earlier in the summer, Patch asked Walsh by email whether he took issue with the district's statement. He did not respond.

Waters' request for an apology was apparently prompted by a resident's comments earlier in the meeting.

Resident Anne Huber questioned where the apology was from the superintendent for the statement on the alleged racial slurs.

"Where is the management from this board? President (Erik) Held, where is your direction to these people about what is being said about our village, our community and our entire district?" she asked.

Huber said Hinsdale Central has never been a racist community.