Closed-Door Minutes Eyed By Hinsdale D86 Board

HINSDALE, IL – The Hinsdale High School District 86 board may take the unusual step Thursday of withdrawing closed session minutes that it approved a month ago.

On the board's agenda is a proposal to pull five of the nine sets of minutes that members supported in a 4-3 vote. A divided vote on minutes, in itself, is rare.

The vote was after board member Kay Gallo pointed out what she saw as problems with the minutes.

She said that, among other things, certain people who attended the sessions were identified incorrectly. Also, she said a set of minutes failed to include one of the cited legal exemptions to close the doors.

Gallo, Debbie Levinthal and Asma Akhras, who as the board's secretary wrote the minutes, voted against approving them.

The board majority – President Catherine Greenspon and members Jeff Waters, Peggy James and Terri Walker – approved the minutes.

Because the meetings are closed, the public is barred from seeing the minutes. The minutes are drafted for reference by current and future boards.

For District 86, debates over such minutes can get contentious. In 2022, the board minority walked out in protest over closed session minutes drafted by the majority.