What Lawyers Got For Hinsdale D86 Ouster

HINSDALE, IL – Less than two weeks after taking control, the new Hinsdale High School District 86 majority hired a law firm to help with its first mission: Fire Superintendent Tammy Prentiss.

Last week, the district released the law firm's costs. It paid the Chicago-based law firm Robbins Schwartz $56,187 in May and June to accomplish the goal of ousting Prentiss.

The board approved hiring Robbins Schwartz at its May 15 meeting.

In fact, the district paid the firm $457 to prepare for the meeting, even though it had not been hired yet. The firm also charged $1,200 for its services during the meeting.

That night, the board decided in a closed session to suspend Prentiss and name an interim superintendent, actions that it announced the next day.

State law requires public bodies to make decisions in open meetings. Patch has filed a complaint with the attorney general's office, which said it would look into the matter.

At Thursday's board meeting, member Debbie Levinthal revived her year-old request for the board to review its options for law firms. Its main firm has long been Itasca-based Hodges Loizzi.

Interim Superintendent Linda Yonke said it's recommended that school boards request proposals from prospective law firms after a certain number of years. Such a process, she said, may result in sticking with the same firm.

In 2021, Levinthal and board member Peggy James locked horns with Hodges Loizzi after the district relied on the firm's advice to deny their public records request for board members' emails about a 2021 contract with "antiracist" consultants.

The two later filed a complaint with the attorney general, as did Patch. The district prevailed.