'Abhorrent' Behavior By Hinsdale D-86 Residents: Official

HINSDALE, IL — Some residents in Hinsdale High School District 86 are upset with comments made by Superintendent Tammy Prentiss after an anti-racism consultant poised to get a contract with the district withdrew her name.

In her letter of withdrawal earlier this month, North Carolina-based consultant Valda Valbrun denounced Hinsdale as a "dangerous" place and said she was the target of "vitriol and lack of professionalism" in direct messages from residents.

Last week, Prentiss emailed comments to the Chicago Tribune about the situation. Patch got the entire statement Thursday through a district spokesman.

In her statement, Prentiss sympathized with Valbrun.

"The administration agrees with Ms. Valbrun that the behavior that members of our community have directed toward her is abhorrent and inexcusable," Prentiss said. "As we have stated clearly, repeatedly and emphatically, one of the main goals of our equity work is to create an environment where everyone is not only treated with compassion, dignity and respect, but also feels safe and welcome."

She continued, "It is both troubling and disturbing that people who claim to share that belief would choose to laugh at or mock someone who said they felt none of those things based on the way they were treated. Sadly, Ms. Valbrun’s experience is not unlike what some of our students and staff members have encountered during their time in our district."

Valbrun has not returned a message from Patch. But she told the Tribune that her first experience in District 86 was unpleasant. She contended she was met with hostility from front-office district employees, who told her that her interview would take place in the auditorium down the street, the newspaper said.

Valbrun told the Tribune she received messages from residents saying things such as "what are you afraid of, why is your Twitter feed protected?" to "no one wants your kind in Hinsdale" and "you don’t belong here, we’re glad you pulled out," according to the Tribune.

In her statement, Prentiss described the residents who attended the Jan. 13 board meeting, where she read the letter.

"From an ideological standpoint, the individuals who attended the meeting on Jan. 13 represent those in our community who have always opposed this (equity) work, regardless of what we have said to them publicly or privately," Prentiss said. "That does not mean that we stop standing up for what we believe in. It simply means focusing our time, effort and energy toward having a productive dialogue about the issues and challenges our students and staff have faced for far too long."

Patch published a story Friday about how residents reacted to Prentiss' statements and the Valbrun situation in general.