LTHS Subject Of Police Investigation

LA GRANGE, IL — A man who was escorted out of a Lyons Township High School board meeting in December has filed a complaint with La Grange police, the school's top official says.

Through a public records request, Patch obtained a Jan. 7 email from Superintendent Brian Waterman to school officials. He informed members the resident's complaint triggered a police investigation.

Waterman said a police detective would need to speak with each board member and administrator who was seated on stage that night.

On Sunday, Patch filed a public records request with La Grange police for the resident's complaint and a report on the investigation.

At the Dec. 20 meeting, William See, who opposes mask mandates, called board members "bobbleheads" for going along with the school's decision to require students to wear masks. He was warned not to make "personally disparaging" remarks.

See apologized, but then called the superintendent a "bobblehead." Then he got out a bobblehead to demonstrate what one was.

That was enough for Waterman.

"Mr. See, your time is up, and I'm going to ask you to leave the auditorium now," Waterman said. "If you don't leave in the next 10 seconds, you'll be in violation of trespassing."

See responded, "How did I trespass? I'm right here talking. What I'm doing is talking."

"We don't allow personally disparaging comments, and you're asked to leave the auditorium right now," he said, again threatening See with a trespassing charge.

Waterman then got up from his chair. A security officer approached See and started to escort him out of the auditorium.

Board President Kari Dillon said, "That's it. Mr. See, you may leave now. You don't reside in the district."

It was unclear that a school board or any other public body has any authority to charge a speaker with trespassing, especially in light of the First Amendment.