D-86 Officials Admit Roles In Confrontation: Lawyer

DARIEN, IL — Two Hinsdale High School District 86 board members suffered a "bad moment" when they got into a confrontation after a meeting in late October, a lawyer investigating the conflict said Thursday.

At a board meeting, attorney Dana Crumley of the Chicago-based Franczek law firm released her 2½-page report on the incident involving board members Erik Held and Jeff Waters. She gave the board a few minutes to read it, then she spoke about it.

Crumley said she had interviewed Held and Waters at length.

"I think both parties acknowledge they played a role in the conflict," Crumley said. "Both parties acknowledge that it is very important that this incident is not representative of how they want to interact with each other moving forward. They want to interact with each other in a more positive manner going forward. I believe that intent on both of their parts is very genuine."

The incident in question took place after a board meeting shortly before midnight Oct. 28 outside Hinsdale South High School in Darien. Held filed a complaint afterward.

In a soundless surveillance video, board member Jeff Waters could be seen pointing his finger at Held and then touching Held on the shoulder outside the school. Both men agreed Waters used the f-word a number of times.

A couple of minutes later, Held said in his complaint that he stopped his car to speak with Waters, telling him not to touch him again.

"It was certainly a bad moment," Crumley said. "We've all had them. I'll be the first to admit I've had bad moments in conflicts with people, arguments with people I wish I didn't have. But it was a very brief moment when I looked at it on the tape. We are talking about a few minutes of an evening."

About Waters touching Held, Crumley said it did not constitute assault and that it was not a hit or a strike. But she said the contact was not welcomed by Held and that he informed Waters of that.

During the confrontation, she said, Waters took issue with one of Held's statements at the meeting, telling Held, "Don't put words in my f------ mouth." At the meeting, Held asserted that Waters was saying "Central wants this, so let's slap South in the face and say they've been doing it wrong." During the meeting, Waters told Held not to put words in his mouth, though he did not use an obscenity.

After the initial exchange, the two men walked to their cars, continuing to speak with each other, Crumley said. A school security guard saw the conflict, inquired about it and advised they end their conversation for the evening, she said.

They concluded their exchange momentarily. As Held drove away, he stopped by Waters' car to tell his colleague not to touch him again, Crumley said. The guard instructed Held to continue pulling out of the lot, she said.

Waters then told the school security guard that he would appreciate it if he did not mention the incident to anyone, Crumley said.

Crumley described both men as forthcoming and cooperative in their interviews.

"This is something that happened, maybe it was not the best," she said. "I don't think after having met the parties involved that it was a reflection of who they are overall as people. You should read my report with that in mind. I think the board will be best served if you take this as one isolated incident and move on from it."

Crumley advised the board not to let its discussions last too long, which she said can add to the stress among members.

"You don't want to have so many comments back and forth that it becomes like a filibuster," Crumley said. "Make a decision when you have a consensus of four."

Board President Terri Walker asked the board to indicate by a show of hands whether it wanted to close the complaint. All seven members agreed to close it.

"Thank you, Dana," Waters said.

Held said, "Thank you for your time and work."

During public comments, a couple of residents brought up the members' confrontation.

Hinsdale resident Linda Burke said both men were "jerks."

"It happens to the best of us," Burke said. "I hope the two combatants have already decided to care more about the district than their egos and bury the hatchet and drop this stupid, stupid quarrel."

She noted when the conflict happened.

"It was 20 to midnight," she said. "Nobody is out but cops and bad guys. Don't be bad guys."

Another resident, Kim Notaro, a Waters alley and a witness to the conflict, blamed Held for what happened.

"If anyone made a threat, it was Held," Notaro said, saying Held threatened to report Waters.

A threat to make a report does not violate any law or policy.

Waters was elected in April, while Held was elected two years earlier.