Dist. 37 board member won't resign despite felony charges

Barb Mende defiantly said Tuesday she will not resign from her elected position despite facing felony criminal charges, one of which involve her actions while serving as Gavin school board President.

Mende said she originally ran for the school board in 2005 because she believes in the district, the students and the teachers at Gavin. She said she will not leave them now despite the felony charges filed against her by the Illinois Attorney General's office and the Lake County state's attorney's office.

"When I first started this journey, I had the best interests of the kids, teachers and district at heart," she said. "For those reasons, I will not resign from the Gavin school board."

However, she was blasted by former board president Connie Thorsen for not being a role model for children while serving in the highest elected position on the board.

"I will continue to ask you for your resignation at every board meeting until you resign," Thorsen said. "Your actions do not help this board move forward."

This is the first board meeting Mende has attended since being charged with official misconduct by the Illinois Attorney General's office and with theft over $10,000 by the Lake County States Attorney's office.

The official misconduct charge was because Mende told a Park Ridge moving company to submit a $13,000 moving bill to the board in two separate invoices. Mende's decision -- which was to move students back into Gavin Central School after it was shuttered for two years -- was to avoid a competitive bidding process for hiring a contractor as required by law. Mende faces up to five years in prison on the misconduct charge.

Mende said at the time she deemed the move an emergency, and that if she is found in violation of the charges, she would "take the hit."

Board members Phil Mack, Kristine Johnson and Steve Moulis backed Mende's decision when a vote was taken in April of 2006 regarding the separate invoices. They have also been asked by Thorsen to resign, but all three have said they will not.

Mende was also charged with stealing $11,223 from the Lake County Fairground Association, where she was employed as head of payroll.

State's attorney officials said she frequently paid herself overtime she did not work, failed to collect payments from herself for insurance and did not collect a wage garnishment for a Cook County medical bill she was required to pay.

She faces up to seven years in prison on the theft charge.

Mende plead not guilty to both charges when required to appear in Lake County Circuit Court on Nov. 19. In the meantime, a judge has decided she is not allowed to go to any gambling casino's and is not allowed to make any decisions regarding finances at Gavin School District 37.

Mende abstained from every vote taken by the board Tuesday.

Steve Moulis is the only person to respond to Thorsen's request to resign, saying he was "disappointed in Thorsen," that Mende was "innocent until proven guilty," and that Thorsen should "eat some candy because maybe it would sweeten her up."