Hinsdale D86 Launches New Investigation

HINSDALE, IL – The Hinsdale High School District 86 board on Monday decided to start an investigation related to a 6-day-old "message with parent concerns."

At a special meeting, the board voted 5-2 to hire the Chicago-based Robbins Schwartz law firm as the special counsel to provide legal advice and other services related to the message.

The firm is being asked to look into any communications, meetings or "board actions" occurring as a result of the message. It's unclear what the district means by board actions, given the board as a group has taken no action related to the message. (Under state law, all board decisions must be made in public.)

Members Kay Gallo and Debbie Levinthal voted against hiring a special counsel. Levinthal resigned hours later, saying she was leaving in frustration.

Asked Tuesday about her opposition to hiring a special counsel, Gallo said in an interview, "I don't believe it's necessary to do that." She said she could not discuss the matter further.

Levinthal declined to comment. Patch left a message with board President Catherine Greenspon.

In May, the board hired Robbins Schwartz to investigate then-Superintendent Tammy Prentiss and provide legal advice for her ouster. The firm got the job done in late June, with Prentiss agreeing to leave in return for a year's salary.

The public may never see the report from the latest investigation. Public bodies, including the village of Hinsdale, often hire law firms to conduct investigations and cite attorney-client privilege to keep the resulting reports under wraps.

In 2022, an attorney conducted an investigation into Prentiss' controversial handling of a prospective anti-racist consultant.

The previous Prentiss-friendly board majority kept the attorney's report secret. That report continues to be under wraps with the Greenspon-led board majority, which took the reins in May.

On Tuesday, Patch filed a public records request for the "message with parent concerns."