Hinsdale D-86 May End 'Antiracist' Contracts

HINSDALE, IL — The Hinsdale High School District 86 board is poised to terminate its contracts with consultants who were to provide "antiracist" and "race consciousness" training for staff.

On Tuesday, consultants with Anew Collective Consulting and Saxman Consulting signed an agreement to terminate. The board is set to vote on whether to do so at its meeting Thursday.

At an August board meeting, members were told that "equity" training was already set up before school started. However, the termination agreement indicates that the district owes the firms no money.

Asked about the reasons for the termination, the district declined to say.

"The status of the contracts will be discussed on Thursday night," spokesman Chris Jasculca said in an email.

Patch left messages Wednesday morning with Anew and Saxman.

Last month, the board voted 5-2 to spend $52,000 for the firms to provide the training. The consultant-led training would have been voluntary for employees, officials said.

Members Jeff Waters and Peggy James dissented. They said they wanted a presentation from the consultants before voting on the contracts.

Waters said some of the training's content items seemed vague and that he needed more clarity. He said the term "equity" strikes fear in some who believed it serves a few while degrading opportunities for all.

"We have heard this back and forth at board meetings in the past, where people will come in with concern about CRT (critical race theory)," Waters said. "I don't think that's the focal point of this concern of mine. I'm just looking for more clarity. If there's no bogeyman, and I'm sure there's not, that's not the spirit. The spirit is simply to understand what it is."

At a later board meeting, Hinsdale resident Andrew Catton asked the board to reconsider the contracts, saying they were rushed through. He said one of the consultants considered herself a "social justice warrior."