Complaints Filed Against LTHS Over Closed Meetings

LA GRANGE, IL – Two complaints were filed recently against the Lyons Township High School board over its closed sessions last year.

In a letter Thursday, the attorney general's office informed board President Kari Dillon of the complaints.

In a statement last month, the board said it discussed the controversial effort to sell its land in Willow Springs in both open and closed sessions.

Yet the board failed to cite the real estate exception to the state's open meetings law before closing the doors.

Late last month, Patch reported on the apparent violations. The board acknowledged to Patch that it changed its practice in December upon the advice of its lawyer. It said it now cites specific reasons for closed sessions.

Under Illinois law, government bodies must discuss most public business in the open.

In the letter, Assistant Attorney General Ben Silver said he determined further action on the complaints was warranted, meaning his office would look into it.

He asked the board whether it cited an exception under the Open Meetings Act before going into closed session to discuss the sale of the land.

The board has seven business days to respond to the attorney general's request for information.

A high school spokesman did not return an emailed message for comment Friday.

The school has not presented any instances in which it discussed selling the 71-acre property during open meetings before December.

The school's desire to sell the property to an industrial developer had drawn opposition from Willow Springs and other public bodies.