Hinsdale D-86 Official Yells At Colleague During Meeting

HINSDALE, IL – The president of the Hinsdale High School District 86 board last week yelled at a member after the member labeled the administration's account of meetings as "deceitful" and "false."

The exchange happened about a half hour into a discussion about the "board briefs" that the administration emails to the public after every regular school board meeting.

Members Peggy James and Debbie Levinthal requested the district provide a fuller accounting in the briefs about what is said during meetings.

They said the district should include the minority's views and the names of public commenters and their topics.

Member Jeff Waters, another minority member, said last month's board briefs failed to include the opposition's view on the preservation of text messages.

He read an email he sent the entire board after the district issued the briefs. He said the briefs were poor, inaccurate and incomplete.

"This is a problem and has been for quite some time. Crafting a narrative to suit one's interest as to what your audience reads is deceitful and runs counter to your charge of transparency," Waters said.

Board President Erik Held disagreed.

"It would be inappropriate for the board briefs to somehow relitigate and share what we consider dirty laundry," Held said.

But Waters said the board briefs fail when they only mention majority-favored solutions.

"Debbie and Peggy took a more polite route that (board briefs) need to be more detailed," Water said.

He took the issue a step further by saying the board briefs presented a "false narrative." The briefs are written by Chris Jasculca, the district's director of communications.

Held said Waters was not taking a polite route.

"You're insulting our director of communications right now by calling him deceitful," Held said.

Then Held raised his voice.

"This is the second time you've gone after a member of the administration and called them a liar," he said.

Waters said he wasn't calling anyone a liar.

Held yelled, "No, you called him deceitful. What is deceit? Deceit is a lie."

Waters said Held was supposed to be a leader.

"I am and so are you," Held said, pointing his finger at Waters. "What are you doing in your leadership position? You're taking it and using it to attack members of the administration."

"I'm not attacking anyone," Water said. "But I could argue that you are attacking me."

Board member Cynthia Hanson then tried to find a compromise. She said she agreed the briefs could include the names of public commenters and topics.

Members later seemed to agree that they did not have to name the commenters, but should include their topics in board briefs. (The commenters' names are listed in the minutes, which are typically released weeks later.)

In late August, Waters and others objected to Jasculca being blind-copied emails to the school board's general account. He said he had learned recently that "you, Mr. Jasculca, were also copied in."

"As it relates to this email address, it brings up other questions, Mr. Jasculca, another administrator–"

"I think you should stop trying to impugn our administration. You are leveling an accusation at him," Held interrupted, raising his voice.

In 2021, Waters and Held got into a confrontation in the parking lot at Hinsdale South High School after a board meeting. It started when Waters came out of the building, pointing his finger at Held and apparently using profanity.

After a district lawyer's report on the incident, the men made up.