Hinsdale D86 Won't Divulge Names Of Law Firms

HINSDALE, IL – Hinsdale High School District 86 decided Monday to keep secret the names of the nine law firms it said have submitted proposals to provide legal services.

In an email early Monday evening, the district denied Patch's public records request for the information.

The district cited an exception under the Freedom of Information Act that allows it to keep proposals and bids for any contract under wraps that if disclosed, "would frustrate procurement or give advantage" to any contractor.

The district did not explain how releasing the names would frustrate procurement or give someone an advantage. The legal exception indicates such information could be released after a final selection is made.

On Halloween, the district declined to release the firms' proposals for the same reason. That denial prompted Patch to file a request for the names.

On Tuesday, the board plans to hear presentations from three law firms during a public meeting. The finalists, officials said, were produced as the result of a committee's scoring process.

The meeting is set for 6 p.m. in Hinsdale Central High School's library. No decisions will be made, according to the meeting agenda.

The district is seeking a law firm to replace Robbins Schwartz. The firm terminated its relationship in September, saying the district was "unreasonably difficult" to serve.

After hiring Robbins Schwartz in January, the district's legal bills skyrocketed, exceeding those in much larger districts.

In October, the school board voted against paying Robbins Schwartz's $132,000 bill from two months earlier.

Last week, Linda Burke, a high-profile ally of the school board, indicated in a statement to her email list that local media may be responsible for Robbins Schwartz's exit. She noted Patch's coverage of the board's removal of nine years of public records requests from its website.

"The accusations damage the reputation of the district, threaten expensive litigation, and in my view, may even have contributed to the resignation of the Robbins Schwartz law firm from serving the district," wrote Burke, who has attended board meetings since the 1990s. "This is just a start on discussing the potential harms of the unfair accusations."