Dist. 37 board chief's misconduct trial begins

Gavin Elementary District 37 board President Barbara Mende tried to arrange a vote on hiring a moving company over the telephone, a fellow board member testified Wednesday.

Mende, 36, is on trial for official misconduct for allegedly splitting a $13,000 moving contract into two parts to avoid competitive bidding.

The district needed movers to take desks and other school furniture from a Lake Zurich school building where Gavin Central students were sent after Central was condemned back to the repaired Central.

Board member Diane Hanson said she received a call at home from Mende in early January 2006, just before the move was to take place.

Hanson said Mende told her the board had to hire movers on an emergency basis and she had called all the other board members that day and each had agreed to vote "yes" over the telephone.

Hanson said she was concerned about the legality of the vote and called another board member after ending her conversation with Mende.

When that board member told her she had not spoken to Mende, Hanson said, she refused to go along with Mende on the vote.

However, Hanson said, she and the other board members found out at a Jan. 24, 2006, meeting that 5-Alarm Movers of Park Ridge had already been hired and had been given one check for $6,500.

Hanson and other board members questioned paying two invoices for one move at the time, but a majority of the board voted with Mende to approve the checks.

Defense attorney Wesley Pribla of Woodstock did not make an opening statement at the trial before Circuit Judge George Bridges.

However, he signaled Mende's defense during his argument in support of an objection he made to evidence being offered by Assistant Attorney General Edward Snow.

"Knowledge and intent are significant elements of official misconduct," Pribla said. "What you are going to hear is that she (Mende) just did what somebody else did and did not know it was wrong."

Under cross-examination, Hanson said she was aware another moving company had been paid on two invoices for moving furniture out of an Antioch school building into storage and finally to the Lake Zurich building.

But she also said that company was hired through the competitive bidding process and that it actually involved two different moves.

Mende faces up to five years in prison if convicted. Testimony is expected to continue today.

She is also awaiting trial on charges of stealing more than $11,000 while working as the head of payroll for the Lake County Fairground Association.