Hinsdale D-86 Officials' Confrontation After Meeting

DARIEN, IL — Two Hinsdale High School District 86 board members got into a confrontation after a meeting in late October, with one of them filing a complaint.

The incident began about 11:40 p.m. Oct. 28 outside the entrance of Hinsdale South High School. Surveillance video documented much of the incident, but it did not include sound.

One of the board members is alleged to have asked a school security guard to keep quiet about it.

During the meeting, board member Erik Held said he interpreted a statement from his colleague, Jeff Waters, as saying "Central wants this, so let's slap South in the face and say they've been doing it wrong."

Waters objected, saying he did not say that and that Held was putting words in his mouth.

After the meeting, which lasted five hours, Held was seen outside the entrance speaking with board member Peggy James and resident Kim Notaro, both allies of Waters. Apparently, a number of other officials were outside the frame.

The camera showed Waters walking out the door looking at his phone. Then he saw Held and pointed his finger at Held and touched him on the shoulder. Held called it a "threatening version of a friendly back slap."

Waters continued walking into the parking lot. He looked back, apparently responding to something Held said. He looked back at least one more time.

Held followed Waters into the lot, although at some distance. Another camera showed them going to their cars, with Held parked two spaces from Waters. After a couple of minutes, Held could be seen leaving the parking lot but stopping in front of Waters' car. Waters could be seen talking to someone else. The two men apparently exchanged more words. After a little more than a minute, Held drove away.

A few days later, Held filed a complaint, alleging Waters violated school rules. Patch obtained the document and others through a public records request.

What Erik Held says

Here's what Held alleged:

Waters walked out saying, "Don't you ever put words in my f------ mouth."

Held said he did not.

"You f------ did," Waters said. "Don't put words in my f------ mouth again."

Held urged Waters to roll the tape.

Waters also told Held, "F------ run again in two years. See how that goes."

"What, are you threatening me?" Held responded.

"Threatening? Just run again in two years and see what happens."

Held said he told Waters to take his threats and go home.

At that point, Held said he was standing in the drive by the school and that a security guard was in the area.

In his complaint, Held wrote, "I went to my car, took a few breaths, and started it up. One thing I wanted said to him clearly was that he wasn't to lay hands on me again after his almost-strike. I was sure that, alone, he'd have grabbed me or shoved me. He was furious for being called out or challenged at the board table."

He said he stopped in front of Waters' car. Waters was outside speaking with someone else. Notaro said it was her.

"Don't you ever touch me or lay hands on me again," Held said.

"What, I didn't touch you," Waters said.

The other person said Waters did not touch him.

Held responded, "He most certainly did. He came up to me and slapped me on the back."

Waters said, "Oh, for f---'s sake, come on. Are you soft? Huh? You too soft for that?"

They exchanged a few more words. Held said he ended it by saying, "Keep being such a great board member, Jeff." Then he drove away.

Held declined to comment on the matter.

What Jeff Waters says

In an interview with Patch, Waters characterized the incident as a "non-event." He said he has not been contacted about any investigation of the complaint.

"I was not the aggressor during this non-event," Waters said. "If a judgment or inference would be made that someone was the aggressor, Mr. Held would be the aggressor. I told him in the public board meeting not to put words in my mouth.

Waters said the evidence shows that Held continued to exchange words with him as Waters walked away.

"I was not mad when I walked out," Waters said. "I had simply reiterated what I said in a private setting. This was a private conversation. He continued to exacerbate the conversation."

He said he tapped Held on the shoulder and that no one got struck.

In the parking lot, Waters said, Held "blocked my car to continue the discussion."

Asked whether he asked Held to stop blocking him, he said he did not.

He said both he and Held used "colorful" language. Held did not indicate in his complaint that he used such words.

As for his comments on Held's re-election, he said he was suggesting that his colleague better represent constituents.

He called the complaint a distraction from the good work of the district. He said he was proud that the entire board voted last week for a course of studies for next year that included two pathways for the science curriculum, an issue that had divided the board.

Waters said the matter was a distraction that does not serve the community well. He said board members should be focused on the best interests of students.

The security guard

According to district emails, Christopher Cesak, a district security guard, said Waters asked him not to mention the incident to anyone. The guard said he told Waters that a number of people saw the argument and that he would tell his supervisors about it.

In an email to Superintendent Tammy Prentiss, Held thanked Cesak for "his fidelity to the job and the district's core beliefs."

"It's disappointing that a security guard — a district employee — was asked to lie by omission by a sitting Board Member," Held wrote.

In the interview, Waters said the security guard asked him if everything was fine. Waters said he told him that it was.

"I said, 'It would be unfortunate that you have to make an incident report on what happened here tonight, but that is out of your control,'" Waters said.

Violations alleged

In his complaint, Held alleged Waters violated the Illinois Association of School Boards' code of conduct, which the local board adopted. He also said Waters violated the school board's policies by striking him, using vulgar or obscene language on campus, and intimidating the security guard.

One day after the meeting, Superintendent Prentiss informed Waters of the board policies that he violated based on information that the district received.

"The intent is to discuss that situation relevant to the policy and the possible paths forward," she said.

In a reply, Waters said the intent should also include gathering data from eyewitnesses. He said he violated no policy. Waters provided the email exchange to Patch, which was not included in the information provided by the district.

In an interview Friday, board member James also termed the incident a "non-event" and a distraction from the board's work.

"It happened for a minute or two in the parking lot," she said.

She said she was unaware a grievance had been filed until Patch received the public records earlier this week. She said the exchange was similar to what happened in the board meeting, except for "more colorful" language afterward.

Notaro, who was near Waters throughout the incident, said she saw Held as "incredibly confrontational." A supporter of Waters, she said he gave a "gentle tap" to Held that was mischaracterized.

"Jeff said very calmly, 'Don't put words in my f------ mouth.' He was totally, totally calm. Erik was yelling," Notaro said.

On Waters' side of the conversation, she said, "it was like having a regular discussion."