Another court has ruled in favor of Hinsdale High School District 86 and former Superintendent Bruce Law in a lawsuit filed by former board member Claudia Manley and her husband, Noel.
District 86 Board President Nancy Pollak announced Feb. 3 that the Illinois Appellate Court, Second District, ruled in favor of District 86 and Law on all of the remaining claims in the lawsuit filed by the Manleys almost five years ago. She said that the Appellate Court affirmed the trial court’s rulings, held that the uniform grievance procedure was properly applied to Claudia Manley, and stated that the dispute over policy 4:20 was moot. In addition, she said that the court rejected an attempt by the Manleys to “reserve” other issues, remedies and claims.
“We are disappointed,” Bruce Davidson, the Manleys’ attorney, said in response to the decision. ”The court reached outside the summary judgment record in order to arrive at its result, and it is always disappointing to see a court do something like that.”
The district spent $20,964 on the investigation and $24,604 on legal fees while the case was in state court. The district had to pay $10,000 for its deductible once the case was moved to federal court. Another $96,000 is expected to be paid for by the district’s self-funded insurance pool, which is funded with taxpayer dollars, said Josh Stephenson, the district’s chief financial officer. If the costs exceed $100,000, an outside insurance policy will kick in.
