Hinsdale D86 Paying Out $333K In Student Settlements

HINSDALE, IL – Hinsdale High School District 86 is paying out $333,000 as part of settlements with two students' families.

Through a public records request, Patch on Tuesday obtained the heavily redacted agreements, which the board approved about three weeks ago.

For one family, the district is paying $90,000 in compensatory damages and $90,000 for the family's legal bills.

For the other, the district agreed to give $120,000 to cover certain costs, which were blacked out. It will also reimburse the family for at least $23,410 in legal costs.

Under the settlements, both the district and families must keep the terms and conditions secret.

The state's open records law required the district to release the agreements upon request. The redactions, the district said, kept personally identifiable information about the students confidential.

After receiving the documents, Patch filed a public records request for the complaints or lawsuits that triggered the settlements.

At their Dec. 18 meeting, board members unanimously approved the agreements without any discussion. They likely talked about the issues behind closed doors, which state law allows.

Last year, the board approved its last student settlement agreement, with the district giving $80,000. The board did not reveal the name of the recipient family.

Later, Hinsdale resident Dan Levinthal, husband of former school board member Debbie Levinthal, indicated his family received the money.

He said the settlement resulted from his family's complaint that the district violated their parental rights as well as the student privacy of all three of their children in the district.