DARIEN, IL – A statement from a former board member for Hinsdale High School District 86 was read into the board’s record Wednesday night. It was critical of the board and its outgoing law firm.
Board critic Yvonne Mayer said she was asked by former member Kay Gallo, who resigned in frustration nearly a year ago, to read Gallo’s message.
Gallo’s statement focused on the Robbins Schwartz law firm’s decision to terminate its relationship, saying serving the board was “unreasonably difficult.”
Gallo said, “As I approach my one-year anniversary of my decision not to be complicit in the actions of this board, specifically the board leadership, I’m not surprised that Robbins Schwartz has seemingly arrived at the same conclusion. What took them so long and how much damage have they enabled? More likely than not, they have exposed themselves to liability at the hands of the board and board leadership.”
Following its policy on public input, the board did not respond to Gallo’s message. (Gallo confirmed the statement to Patch on Thursday morning.)
Last October, Gallo quietly left a board meeting. A few minutes later, she emailed her resignation letter to reporters from Patch and the Hinsdalean, a weekly newspaper.
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She also sent it to Mayer, who was sitting in the audience. Mayer then read the message during the public comments portion of the meeting. Gallo said she had no faith in the board’s leadership.
Earlier this week, District 86 released the Sept. 9 termination letter from Chicago-based Robbins Schwartz, which the board hired as the main attorney in January. It was in response to a public records request from Patch.
Patch had previously sought the letter, but it was withheld without an explanation. At the time, the district released a few emails about the letter, none of them revealing the firm’s reason for departing.
After Gallo resigned, Robbins Schwartz warned her in a letter not to release information that the district considers confidential.
Debbie Levinthal, who resigned a month earlier in frustration, got the same letter.
During the time of those letters, Robbins Schwartz was considered the district’s special counsel. It was limited to a couple of matters, which did not seem to involve warning former board members.
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