D46 Board Approves $500 for Smigielski's Court Costs

The District 46 Board of Education approved giving funds to former school board member Shannon Smigielski, but not the full amount she requested.

Smigielski had asked for funds not to exceed $2,000 in obtaining a two-year order of protection against Christopher Culp to keep him from Smigelski, her daughters, the school and her home. 

Culp, 43, of 691 S. Rose Hall Lane, Round Lake, was charged with disorderly conduct-telephone harassment, a Class B misdemeanor, according to Grayslake police. Smigielski said Culp made a threatening phone call to her home at 11:45 p.m. Jan. 19 during the District 46 teachers' strike.

Smigielski resigned from the school board, effective March 3. 

To help the former board member, the board voted on April 24 to give Smigielski $500.

Board member Keith Surroz suggested the reduced amount.

"I think $2,000 is too much," Surroz said. "I don’t mind maybe putting $500 towards this. It lets the community know that there is a line in the sand. But $2,000 seems too high to me. I don’t think that is a wise use of the taxpayer dollars. She did pursue this without coming to talk to the board first."

Board member Michael Carbone said, "She was acting in the capacity as a school board member when it happened. I think we should cover this."

"We should protect the people who volunteer to sit at this table," said board member Kip Evans.

The board voted 4-2, with Board President Ray Millington, Evans, Surroz and Carbone voting in favor, and Karen Weinert and Sue Facklam voting against.

"It was not the dollar amount that was problematic for our attorney," said Weinert. "It was paying any amount."

All agreed that no school board member should be threatened.

"I think what happened to her as a mom and a school board member is atrocious," said Carbone.

Smigielski explained her request on a Patch article where people asked about the request: "If you are elected, you should be protected. Protected from intimidation, threats, bodily harm. If you volunteer your time, your service, you have the right to expect to be kept from harms way as a result of your service. Intimidation of a public official is against the law."