Don't Publish Emails, Hinsdale D86 Warns Media Outlet

HINSDALE, IL – Hinsdale High School District 86 on Wednesday warned Patch against publishing a former board member's emails that criticized the board's president.

The district previously redacted the entire text of the emails in response to Patch's public records requests, citing exceptions under the state's open records law.

Check Kay Gallo's email to board members in October (screenshots below)

Check Kay Gallo's emails to members Terri Walker and Asma Akhras.

In recent days, Patch obtained the emails with only small parts blacked out.

In the emails, former board member Kay Gallo contended board President Catherine Greenspon was exceeding her powers and that she had lost confidence in the district's special counsel, Chicago-based law firm Robbins Schwartz.

In January, the firm became the district's main law firm without competition. That was after confusion over whether the board would issue a request for proposals to other firms.

In the emails, Gallo also informed board members Terri Walker and Asma Akhras that incumbent and incoming board members met privately with Robbins Schwartz before the new majority took control last May. The two members were apparently left out of the loop.

From the documents that Patch obtained, information that appeared to pertain to a student's family and an employee was redacted.

But in an email Wednesday night, District 86 spokesman Alex Mayster said the redactions would not be enough to protect the family or staff members mentioned in them.

"(Y)ou and your source are both threatening their legal right to privacy," Mayster told Patch. "The person who released these emails clearly violated their duties to protect the privacy and confidentiality of families, staff, and the District."

He continued, "We cannot urge you strongly enough not to publish these emails. It is deeply disappointing to see so many false, misleading, and inflammatory claims by a Board member."

Mayster gave no specifics to back up on his characterization of Gallo's emails.

The emails, Mayster said, were kept under wraps because of the exception under the Freedom of Information Act for preliminary notes and drafts. Every part of the messages expressed opinions and tried to push board members toward specific actions, he said.

"This is exactly the kind of email that the predecisional exemption is meant to protect, and that is why the emails were withheld almost entirely," Mayster said. "The emails also include information about a specific student matter and privileged communications between District legal counsel and the Board, so it was absolutely appropriate to reference those exemptions."

In an interview Thursday, Gallo said, "I walked away from the district Oct. 26, and I'm done with the district. As a three-term former board member, I always stood by my written communications."