Today I am proud to be a teacher in District 64.

I asked our Board President John Heyde if I could post this. He told me he would be honored.

Feb.11, 2011

Philip Bender, superintendent
Park Ridge-Niles School District 64
164 S. Prospect Ave.
Park Ridge, IL 60068

Dear Mr. Bender,

I am writing today to object to the reprehensible public  behavior of one of your staff members, Fred Klonsky.

On Feb. 7, Ben Velderman, an employee of our organization, filed a Freedom of Information request with your district, seeking copies of e-mails sent by Mr. Klonsky using school-owned computer equipment and  and a school e-mail address.

This request was completely within the realm of Illinois’ Freedom of Information statute. Your district acknowledged as much by sending us a letter of response, seeking a five-day extension in filling the order and promising to provide the requested materials as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, Mr. Klonsky has used his personal Internet blog to harass Mr. Velderman for making a completely legal inquiry for public information. He posted a large photo of Velderman on his blog site, along with information regarding his education and career. He also posted the telephone number of our organization, as well as Velderman’s work e-mail address. We assume he did so to encourage his supporters to harass Mr. Velderman and our organization.

The unwarranted attack on Mr. Velderman, who was simply carrying out the instructions of his supervisor, can be viewed online at preaprez.wordpress.com.

Mr. Klonsky’s vengeful actions were clearly meant to embarass Mr. Velderman and intimidate other citizens who may consider filing FOIA requests in the future. Is this the way citizens should be treated for requesting public information?

It is our belief that Mr. Klonsky should be severely reprimanded for his efforts to humiliate a citizen who was acting completely within his rights. We are issuing a press release to media throughout Illinois, outlining the facts of this situation and calling for you and the school board to respond in an appropriate manner.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter.

Steve Gunn, communications director
Education Action Group
(231) 733-4202 or (231) 903-5585
sgunn@edactiongroup.org

 

Dear Mr. Gunn,

I have received your e-mail complaining about certain posts on the private blog of Fred Klonsky, one of our art teachers.   Thank you for copying me on the e-mail.   I should clarify at the outset of this e-mail that I am writing in my personal capacity as one of seven members of the board of education.

I have reviewed the relevant posts on Mr. Klonsky’s blog, and contrary to your view, I find nothing “reprehensible” about them.

As you know, this issue began when your organization filed a Freedom of Information Act request asking District 64 to produce all e-mails that Mr. Klonsky has sent from his work e-mail account.   It is safe to say that such a sweeping request to review a schoolteacher’s e-mails, made by an out-of-state organization that has no previous connection to this school district, is unprecedented.   I cannot imagine what you expect to find in Mr. Klonsky’s e-mails or how reading his e-mails might relate to an effort to improve education.   Nonetheless, it is certainly your legal right to make such a request, and the District will comply with the law in responding to it.   However, it should not surprise you that Mr. Klonsky might legitimately wonder about your motives in making the request.

Just as you have a right to make a FOIA request under the law, Mr. Klonsky also has a right, protected by the First Amendment, to offer commentary on his personal blog.   His blog apparently has developed a healthy readership, including – I have to assume – your organization.   Because I am not aware of any connection your organization has with Park Ridge or Niles, Illinois, I assume your organization got the idea of requesting Mr. Klonsky’s e-mails because you did not approve of what he writes in his blog.   And I understand that you also do not approve of his latest posts.   I respectfully suggest that, if you do not like what Mr. Klonsky writes in his blog, you stop reading it.

Our school district has spent significant time and resources responding to your organization’s FOIA request and now responding to your complaint.   If your organization is genuinely interested in improving education, perhaps you will now let us turn our attention back to educating the children of our district.

— John Heyde