Nearly $200K In Unpaid Hinsdale D86 Legal Bills

HINSDALE, IL – Hinsdale High School District 86's unpaid legal bills from its former law firm have grown to nearly $200,000.

This is the result of the district's ongoing dispute with the Chicago-based Robbins Schwartz firm.

In October, the board voted unanimously against paying the firm's $131,770 August bill.

At the board's Nov. 21 meeting, members approved an $11,727 bill from another firm, Oak Brook-based Engler, Callaway, Baasten & Sraga.

But it turns out Robbins Schwartz's $62,715 September bill wasn't even placed on the Nov. 21 agenda. That brings the total of unpaid bills to $194,485. (The latest bill was made available through a resident's public records request.)

A message left with Superintendent Michael Lach and the district's spokesman early Friday morning went unreturned.

In the newest bill, the biggest item was $12,095, which was for a personnel investigation.

In early September, Robbins Schwartz terminated its relationship with the district, saying the district was "unreasonably difficult" to serve. That was a few days after the school board hired Engler for some of its legal business.

Robbins Schwartz said it would ensure a smooth transition to protect the district's interests. So some work continued after the termination notice.

At the November meeting, officials questioned the unusually high legal bill, with members calling it "appalling" and saying there was no excuse.

After the meeting, the district issued its usual "Board Briefs," which is a rundown of what happened. The legal bill issue was included, but the piece did not mention that the board voted against paying it.

"The Board expressed a desire to better understand the costs, and asked administrators to ensure accuracy of billed items within their departments prior to the Board's approval of the payment," the Board Briefs said.

Robbins Schwartz's managing attorney, Joseph Perkoski, couldn't be reached for immediate comment Friday.