Did LTHS Try To Keep Fight Info Away From Media?

LA GRANGE, IL – In the last day, Lyons Township High School sent two mass emails about a fight Monday that resulted in one student going to the hospital.

Neither was released to Patch. The Riverside-Brookfield Landmark newspaper, which closely covers the high school, confirmed it, too, did not receive the statements.

The school emailed the messages to both media outlets upon request.

In an interview Tuesday, Mary Lin Muscolino, the school's coordinator of community relations, said the school has separate email lists for news releases and statements to families. She said the recent messages were statements to families.

She said the high school has not intentionally tried to keep information about the fight from the media.

From the same email address, the school sent other mass emails in the last month to both the school's families and the media. Muscolino said they were considered news releases.

In April, the school sent mass emails about the outcome of the school board election, cardiac screening and a negotiated agreement with the teachers union. The media were included.

As for the fight, the school released its first statement shortly after 10 a.m. Tuesday, with the media excluded.

Nearly three hours later, a reader asked Patch about the fight.

"Why are you not covering this?!" the reader said.

Patch then asked the high school about it, prompting the school to send the hours-old mass email.

The second statement was released to the school's email list, excluding media, about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. Patch found out about it early the next morning.