Ex-Woodland board member accused of favoring husband's firm wants suit dropped
A former Woodland Elementary District 50 school board member is seeking dismissal of a lawsuit that claims a company employing her husband unfairly landed school spirit wear and athletic uniform deals in place of another business.
Lawyers representing Pappas, her husband James, District 50 and other named parties have filed motions in Lake County circuit court requesting dismissal of the civil complaint initiated in April by Ink N' Tees Inc. of Waukegan and its owners, Steve and Kim Stams.
In part, the suit contends Kellie Pappas influenced District 50 to direct business to her husband, a sales representative with Hat World Inc., which operates in Illinois under the name Lids Team Sports. James Pappas handles uniform and spirit wear business for at least 100 public and private suburban schools.
District 50 announced last week Kellie Pappas resigned from the school board, citing a move from the Gurnee-based district. Pappas, elected to the District 50 board in spring 2015, did not return a message seeking comment Wednesday.
Ink N' Tees began supplying District 50 with school spirit wear in 2003, according to the breach-of-contract suit filed by attorney C. Jeffrey Thut. Ink N' Tees also became the supplier of athletic team uniforms in 2012, Roar program clothing in 2009 and nonathletic, extracurricular spirit wear in 2005, the lawsuit states.
Court documents state District 50 agreed to buy athletic uniforms through Lids Team Sports in 2014 and nonathletic clothing in 2015 before Kellie Pappas joined the school board, according to the suit.
Lids received spirit wear business for the district's Roar program in November 2015 while Kellie Pappas was a board member, according the lawsuit.
In addition, the suit claims Kellie Pappas was PTA president in October 2014 when she met with Ink N' Tees regarding clothing sales for the upcoming year.
While the PTA indicated it would take bids from spirit wear vendors in January 2015, the suit said that never occurred and Lids Team Sports received the contract.
As part of the motion to dismiss the suit filed June 13, Kellie Pappas' attorney, Paige Neel, wrote her client was protected from litigation as a school board member under the state's tort immunity act. District 50 attorney James Petrungaro also wrote in a motion to dismiss the suit that Illinois school code prevents board members from being sued.
Neel also questioned whether Ink N' Tees ever had a formal deal with District 50.
"Although plaintiff (Ink N' Tees) vaguely alludes to a contract to supply this merchandise, plaintiff provides no details whatsoever regarding that contract so as to demonstrate that it would give rise to a reasonable expectancy of a valid business relationship," Neel wrote.
Neither Neel nor Thut responded to requests for comment.
Also named in the Ink N' Tees complaint are the Woodland Parent Teacher Association and Hat World Inc.
The suit, which Kellie Pappas previously described as a "personal vendetta" by Ink N' Tees, seeks more than $100,000 in damages.
Motions to dismiss the Ink N' Tees complaint were filed by all of the defendants last month.