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Posted: 10:30 PM Nov 3, 2010
Lawsuit Filed Against Rockford School District
District 205 is being sued over the information contained within a single letter.
Reporter: Chip Brewster Email Address: Chip.Brewster@wifr.com |
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13 Comments 
ROCKFORD (WIFR) -- It's our responsibility to provide information and that often requires going through proper and somewhat tedious channels such as filling out a Freedom of Information Act request. Now the Rockford school district is being accused of breaking the law for not providing the media and you the taxpayer much deserved information.
It's all over a single letter written by a former District 205 principal that the administration is refusing to release to the public. 23 News reporter Chip Brewster also took steps to have this letter released. About three weeks ago he submitted his own FOIA request and was denied, but now another local media outlet is taking it a step further.
The Illinois Press Association along with The Rock River Times filed suit today against District 205 over abuse of the state's Freedom of Information Act.
The IPA calls RPS "one of the worst FOIA offenders [they] have encountered."
The letter is a response by former Auburn principal Dr. Patrick Hardy to his removal from the district. The IPA adds that it allegedly specifies unflattering details about Superintendent Dr. Lavonne Sheffield.
For more than two months The Rock River Times has tried through the proper channels to obtain the letter and at this point it's more about getting it than reading it.
"The district is saying that they're above the law and they repeatedly have said that they do not think that they have to give us this correspondence and it's the public's right to know," says The Rock River Times editor and publisher Frank Schier.
The lawsuit is one of the first cases to be filed under the new FOIA which went into effect this past January. Its result will set a precedent for similar cases that may arise in the future.
We tried to get a response from the school district which went as follows: Communications Director Mark Bonne directed us to school district attorney Lori Hoadley, who responded to us through another district employee, who said Hoadley said she knew nothing about the lawsuit.
If the district loses the suit not only will they have to release the letter and possibly address what details are in it, but Rockford Public Schools will have to pay for all the state penalties and various attorneys fees involved. That basically means we the taxpayers will be footing the bill.
(Chip Brewster is available via email AND facebook... feel free to shoot him a message or friend him at any time)
Latest Comments
I want to join. the bus driver i have will not bus my child she is a mean person. she lies about the time to pick up my kid in the morning. then she takes off while we stand in the cold.
This is to the District 205 Parent who does not know what he or she is talking about when it comes to Dr. Hardy. He really never whated a job downtown, he loves being involved with the children. He took it thinking he could make a difference. He did not agree with a lot of the things going on so he took a pay cut and went back to Auburn to try to help the children and still got the short end of the stick. And he never wanted to go to Jefferson in the first place. The district has used Dr. Hardy to clean up mess ever since he came to Rockford and he did not complain because he loves the children. When ever he starts to make things better they move him. If you don't know the fact you should keep your comments to yourshelf. Dr. Hardy keep your head up. God and I got your back.
@notafan....Lavonne will be going, but on her own terms. She never stayed more than 18 months on any one job. Her intent may be to make it impossible to keep her and RPS will have to buy out her contract to get rid of her.
