Hinsdale D86 Blacks Out Email That Sparked Inquiry

HINSDALE, IL – Hinsdale High School District 86 on Wednesday blacked out an email from a parent that prompted the district to hire a lawyer to investigate.

The district was responding to a public records request from Patch.

The district redacted virtually all the contents of the Sept. 12 letter. The exception was the ending, where the parent said, "I look forward to acknowledgement of receipt and hopefully action. Thank you for your consideration."

Six days after the letter, the board voted 5-2 to hire the Chicago-based Robbins Schwartz law firm to look into the matter.

Particularly, the firm is to provide legal advice and other services related to the message, including any communications, meetings or board actions.

Kay Gallo and Debbie Levinthal voted against hiring the lawyer. Levinthal resigned hours later, while Gallo later told Patch the board action was unnecessary.

In blacking out the letter, the district cited the exceptions under the state's open records law that allow it to keep secret "personally identifiable" information about the parent and student involved.

Because the district hired a lawyer to investigate, it can keep the report resulting from the investigation under wraps forever. It can choose to do so because of the allowable secrecy of attorney-client communications.

The district has done so for last year's investigation of then-Superintendent Tammy Prentiss' handling of a prospective anti-racist consultant.

During her campaign earlier this year, board President Catherine Greenspon, who was elected in April, said the board should release the report from the Prentiss inquiry.

But Greenspon has continued the policy of her predecessor, Erik Held, to keep the document secret.

As president, if Greenspon mentions the existence of the report during a public meeting, it must be released under the state's open records law.