Ex-Hinsdale D86 Officials Reveal Secret Meeting

HINSDALE, IL – A pair of former Hinsdale High School District 86 board members who resigned in frustration last fall have been publicly quiet.

In the last few days, though, both released statements to Patch shedding light on the school board's relationship with its new law firm, Chicago-based Robbins Schwartz.

It's a mystery why the board chose Robbins Schwartz as its general counsel last month without requesting proposals from other law firms.

This was despite the interim superintendent's indicating at two January meetings that the board would issue such a request.

By seeking proposals, the board could have examined the offerings and prices of various firms specializing in serving schools. No law requires the district to undergo such a process.

Twelve days after a new majority took control of the board in May, members hired Robbins Schwartz to help with the ouster of then-Superintendent Tammy Prentiss. Member Terri Walker dissented, while Asma Akhras was absent.

In September, members hired the firm again to look into a 6-day-old "message with parent concerns."

Meanwhile, the district kept its decade-old general counsel, Itasca-based Hodges Loizzi, until Robbins Schartz replaced it.

In their statements, former board members Kay Gallo and Debbie Levinthal indicated a meeting with the law firm took place before new board members took office May 3. It involved board members and those about to take office, they said.

Gallo, who returned to the board in May and resigned in October, said she could confirm that the "five original remaining board members at the time of my resignation knew of my and other board members' participation in a meeting with an attorney from Robbins prior to the reorganization meeting on May 3rd."

She said that based on the attendance, the board did not violate the state's Open Meetings Act. This law bans unadvertised meetings involving a majority of a public body's members.

Levinthal, who was elected in 2021 and left the board in September, also weighed in.

"In response to Ms. Gallo’s comment, I do not believe all board members knew of the referenced meeting at the time of Robbins' original engagement as special counsel and some remained unaware at least until my resignation," she said.

Neither indicated which board members were left in the dark.

Besides Gallo, it's not entirely clear who took part in the meeting before the new majority took control. One of the participants was likely Catherine Greenspon, who took office in May and was elected board president at her first meeting.

As long as the board majority did not attend, the meeting was legal. At the same time, the public revealing of the meeting gives a fuller perspective on the beginnings of the board's relationship with Robbins Schwartz.

Patch emailed two messages for comment with every sitting board member this week about the former members' statements. Only member Jeff Waters responded, saying he had no comment.

In the last few months, Abed Rahman and Heather Kartsounes were appointed to the board to fill Levinthal's and Gallo's seats.