Fake Twitter Account Mocks School Board Candidate

The race for took a strange turn this week when it was revealed that someone had made a fake Twitter account for one of the 10 candidates running.

, one of three candidates who have come out against the district's on the April 5 ballot, has been outspoken on his opposition since campaigning began. He frequently comments on news websites like and TribLocal about why he opposes the referendum, which, if approved, would lead to a massive renovation of Highland Park and Deerfield High Schools.

On Monday, the Twitter account @hpdavegreenberg began tweeting statements like, "We should vote no on the referendum" and "On HS tour. Staff showed me 'broken' things needing 'money' for 'repairs'. Believe staff themselves broke them. Not fooled. Hands off MY $!" 

"It's just dirty politics," Greenberg said about the account. "To try and use my name on the thing to make it look like I'm writing it is just wrong."

Greenberg filed an impersonation report with Twitter and the Highland Park Police. 

The owner of the account, who's identity is unknown, referred to the Twitter feed as a "parody" in a recent tweet. Some of the posts, like "Just got back from Taco Bell. Bet we could save a ton of money (YOUR tax $!) if we had Taco Bell sponsor D113 cafeterias," appear to support the claim.

Greenberg said that he has no problem with being the butt of a joke, but wishes the person had chosen a different name so readers wouldn't get confused. He also wondered how well the person knew Greenberg, considering some of the Tweets that were somewhat accurate, and some that were totally off.

"They know I don't go to McDonald's, I can't stomach the food," he said, referencing a post that described the purchase of an unsatisfying Quarter Pounder. "And I do like grilled cheese sandwiches, I really do," he said with a laugh, referencing a post that reads, "Refrigerator restocked with cheese – I buttered up a hot pan – and cooked a grilled cheese sandwich – Delicious!"

Though the person behind @hpdavegreenberg compared the account to the fake Rahm Emanuel account, there is a significant difference in followers. The fake Emanuel account has nearly 50,000, while the fake Greenberg account has four.

If you know who's behind @hpdavegreenberg, email jacob@patch.com.

Update 3/28: The Twitter account @hpdavegreenberg has been suspended.