Hinsdale D86 Wants To Strengthen Secrecy: Proposal

HINSDALE, IL – Last year, Hinsdale High School District 86's lawyers warned two board members who resigned in frustration to keep information that the district labeled "confidential" secret from the public.

Now, the district is seeking to put such a rule in the board's policies. Members are set to review it Thursday. A vote is planned for later.

The proposed policy states departing members have "ongoing obligations to preserve and maintain the confidentiality of District records and information received as a Board member."

Under the policy, departing members must review their personal devices for materials that constitute public records, turn over such records to the board's lawyer and then certify that personal copies have been "deleted or destroyed."

Last September, member Debbie Levinthal resigned from the board. A month later, Kay Gallo followed suit. Both left criticizing the leadership of board President Catherine Greenspon.

Soon after leaving, Levinthal and Gallo received letters from the district's lawyers at the Chicago-based Robbins Schwartz law firm. They were told to keep under wraps any information that the district deemed confidential.

The letters noted no legal consequences if the board members did otherwise.

In at least one case in recent months, the district labeled confidential an email that Gallo sent to the board last year criticizing Greenspon and the Robbins Schwartz firm. The district declined to release it in response to records requests.

After Patch obtained it, the district sent a letter shortly after to Gallo warning her about keeping confidential information secret.

At the time, Greenspon did not return a message for comment.

Much of the language in the board's policies comes from the state school board association. But this proposed provision appears to be locally drafted.

Patch checked the policies in Elmhurst District 205, Lyons Township High School and Hinsdale District 181. They do not have a policy like the one District 86 is proposing.