District 86 nixes Facebook post probe

Administrators with Hinsdale High School District 86 have dropped plans to question 17 teachers who "liked" a Facebook post about their negotiations that included a picture of an ax through a windshield.

According to the union that represents the teachers, the internal investigation started more than a month after the Patch.com website posted a story about the contract talks between the district and the union.

The photograph of the ax, which wasn't associated with the Aug. 1 story, somehow appeared on a link to the article the Hinsdale High School Teachers Association posted on its Facebook page. Patch later explained that there was "an Internet glitch" that caused the problem.

Still, the union was notified last week that the district was investigating the 17 teachers who "liked" the link while it had the ax photo.

Union representatives called the probe "a blatant abuse of power and an inappropriate use of district resources."

But on Tuesday, school board President Richard Skoda said the investigation has been scrapped. "I would guess that nobody will ever be interviewed on this subject," he said.

Union spokesman Mike Palmquist said dropping the probe was the right thing to do.

"We're glad," Palmquist said. "It was a groundless investigation in the first place. It should have never started."