Hinsdale D86 Official's Email Called 'Condescending'

HINSDALE, IL – A day before she resigned last month, Hinsdale High School District 86 board member Kay Gallo called an email from the board's president to the district's interim superintendents "condescending" and "outrageous."

In the Oct. 25 email, President Catherine Greenspon expressed her frustration with changes made to the board meeting agenda for the next day. She was writing to interim superintendents Linda Yonke and Raymond Lechner.

She cited the board policy that says the president's job is to "focus the board meeting agendas on appropriate content."

"So that it is clear, there will be no changes to board meeting agendas without explicit approval from me as Board President," Greenspon said.

The directive, she said, applied to changes in agenda item titles and the addition of supporting documents.

She told the superintendents it was "presumptuous" to expect board members to continually check the agenda to see whether changes had been made. She said the board members are busy, with all of them having full-time jobs except her.

She said she understood that sometimes changes should be made but that they should be "few and far between."

If a change was needed, Greenspon said, it should only occur after she has been notified and is in agreement. She said a lot of work needed to be done to establish clear lines of communication.

"In looking at a few of the current agenda items, our work is incomplete," Greenspon said.

That same day, Gallo emailed Greenspon and asked what prompted the email.

"The condescending and disrespectful tone contained within this email is utterly outrageous," said Gallo, who was elected in April after having served two previous terms. "Clearly you have misinterpreted 'your responsibility,' not to mention your authority as president. In fact, the superintendent only takes direction from the full board, not the board president. No one member has sole authority. You have, once again, overstepped the bounds of board president."

In an email later that day, board member Peggy James defended Greenspon.

"I note your condescending and disrespectful tone each time you address the Board President," James told Gallo. "We can all choose to work together for the benefit of our district. We do not have to agree, but respect for our colleagues is expected."

Patch obtained the emails through a public records request. That was after Gallo brought up Greenspon's email at the Oct. 26 meeting. She said it was a "red flag" for her.

At the time, Greenspon invited other board members to weigh in. They supported her, with member Jeff Waters saying Greenspon wrote the email "eloquently and objectively."

Before the meeting was over, Gallo resigned. She said she had no faith in the board's leadership.

In an interview Thursday, Gallo, a former board president, said the president's job is to facilitate board meetings. She said the president is supposed to help the superintendent build the board agenda, not hinder the superintendent from building the agenda and sharing information.

"She is stifling the superintendents from doing their job," Gallo said.

Greenspon did not return a message for comment. She has not responded to Patch's inquiries since taking office in May.

The board aims to hire a new superintendent by year's end. The person would likely take the helm July 1.