Complaints Filed Against D86 Superintendent, Board Member

News release and documents via Hinsdale Township High School District 86 School Board Vice President Ed Corcoran.
Note: This article has been updated with new information.

Members of the Hinsdale Township High School District 86 School Board were alerted Monday that complaints have been filed against Superintendent Bruce Law (as Chief Executive Officer of the District) and Board Member Jennifer Planson, who is currently leading a slate of candidates for election to the Board in the April 7th Consolidated Election.

Mr Noel Manley, husband of school board member Claudia Manley, Chairperson of the policy committee filed the complaints stating that political campaigning on school grounds at any time is against school policy. At the heart of the complaint is the fact that the Planson slate conducted organized political canvassing at both Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South in violation of that policy.

District Board Policies 8:30 and 4:20 expressly prohibit the distribution of political campaign materials on school grounds, or any other unauthorized activity to protect the students and protect the sanctity of school grounds. The complaints filed Monday thus claim that any permission given was ineffective, and – if, in fact, obtained from the administration – was given in contravention of published Board Policy. Further the complaint alleges that Board member Planson may have incited the unlawful activity by either organizing it, purporting to give it official approval, or both.

Planson is a sitting board member. Kathleen Hirsman is a school attorney, formerly associated with a law firm responsible for maintaining Board Policy prior to 2013, and Bill Carpenter belongs to School District 63, where canvassing on campus is also strictly prohibited.

Carpenter said he was at Hinsdale South High School on March 13 to protect and provide support for Marissa Dupont, a student who was handing out campaign literature before the school play. Carpenter said others were campaigning that night, but he said he did not introduce himself to anyone or hand out campaign literature at the school.

The complaints arise out of an initial incident in which political canvassers for Planson’s re-election campaign, namely Mary Sullivan and a student, who said she “was asked” to be present, entered school property on the evening of March 12, 2015, for purposes of distributing campaign literature to parents attending opening night of the Hinsdale South High School spring play.

Mr & Mrs. Manley were among those parents, and upon seeing the unauthorized political activity approached Mary Sullivan and advised her she was engaged in unauthorized activity, in violation of District policy. Sullivan maintained (and repeated at a Board Meeting March 23rd) that she had “permission” to distribute Planson’s campaign materials on school property.

Signed Complaint v Law

Signed Complaint v Planson