Turbulence On District 181 School Board?

HINSDALE, IL — The Hinsdale-Clarendon Hills School District 181 board is planning to close its doors Monday to discuss the discipline, performance or removal of an officeholder, according to its meeting agenda. School officials have not publicly identified the person who they plan to discuss. No action is scheduled.

"This is a closed session discussion item only," the district's spokeswoman, Jamie Lavigueur, said in an email to Patch. "If the Board was set to take action, we would share details with the public at that time."

To hold its closed session, the board is citing an exemption under the state's open meetings law that refers to the "occupant of a public office." In a school district, that would mean a board member.

The board titled the closed session item as "Performance of Occupant of a Public Office." The Open Meetings Act exemption applies to discussions about the discipline, performance or removal of officeholders. The board could reprimand a board member, but it is unclear what power, if any, it has to remove a member.

Patch left phone and email messages with Superintendent Hector Garcia and the seven board members about the issue. In emails, members Meeta Patel and Sheetal Rao said they were unable to comment on closed session items.

Patch was only able to get board member Bill Cotter on the phone. He said he was the newest member on the board and did not know what confidentiality rules apply.

"I don't feel comfortable commenting on that," he said.

The other board members — President Margaret Kleber, Nathan Lucht, Sinead Duffy and Sarah Jakobsen — did not respond.

Last week, Cotter sent a letter to Pioneer Press in which he called the board's decision not to allow members to vote on a full reopening plan "an injustice." Instead, the board decided on a blended approach with in-person and remote days.

Board President Kleber told the Pioneer Press that Kleber had the right to express his opinions in public.

“As the topic of public health and schools will be ongoing, we look forward to engaging in discussions with the full board and administration in future meetings,” she told the Pioneer Press.

The school board plans to hold its closed session at 6 p.m. Monday at Hinsdale Middle School, 100 S. Garfield Ave. The open meeting starts at 7 p.m.