Complaint Targets Hinsdale D-86 Leader, Her Aide

HINSDALE, IL — A complaint against Hinsdale High School District 86's superintendent and her assistant alleges they committed retaliatory, harassing and bullying conduct in the handling of public records requests.

But a school board majority sided with the employees.

Through a public records request, Patch obtained the two-page complaint filed by the resident. Much of the complaint was blocked out, and the resident's name was redacted.

Late last month, the board voted 4-3 for the employees. The vote followed the board's usual split — Terri Walker, Kathleen Hirsman, Erik Held and Cynthia Hanson in favor and Jeff Waters, Debbie Levinthal and Peggy James against.

The complaint was filed against Superintendent Tammy Prentiss and her administrative chief of staff, Debra Kedrowski.

The resident accused Kedrowki, the district's Freedom of Information Act officer, of the failure to redact her name and identifying information from documents in a public records request.

In her complaint, the resident spoke of a "pattern of privacy violation(s) and harassment that Ms. Kedrowski and Ms. Prentiss have directed against me in clear retaliation for critical opinions I have raised to the (school board) about Ms. Prentiss' poor leadership as the D86 superintendent and the 'mistake-riddled work' of the FOIA officer."

The resident alleged Kedrowksi "rudely interrupted" her while she was speaking at a school board meeting about her concerns with the public records report posted on the district's website.

The resident also said Prentiss and Kedrowki have a "double standard" when it comes to identifying residents in public records.

She demanded an investigation.

On Jan. 28, board President Walker notified the resident by email that the board found Prentiss and Kedrowski violated no law. It also determined no evidence existed that they harassed the resident or retaliated against her.

Walker said the board's lawyer made an "inadvertent error" in the failure to redact the resident's name from a document. She said the lawyer has taken responsibility for the mistake.

"I wish to extend an apology on his behalf for the redaction error," Walker said. "The District and Board counsel will make every effort in the future to provide that such errors do not occur."

Patch left a message for comment with Prentiss and Kedrowki on Tuesday.

District 86 is the rare government entity that makes many of the documents from public records requests available on its website. Hinsdale School District 181 is another example.