By Brandon Reid
Assistant Editor

Earlier today (Monday, Nov. 22), a local radio station posted a copy of what is alleged to be the unflattering letter written by former Rockford Auburn High School Principal and current Freeport High School Principal Dr. Patrick Hardy. The letter is in response  to Rockford Public School District 205 Superintendent Dr. LaVonne M.  Sheffield’s letter to Hardy titled “Separation of Employment,” dated June 17, 2010.

The Rock River Times has been attempting since August to obtain the letter from District 205 through various Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. However, the district has refused to release the letter, even after the Illinois Attorney General’s Public Access Counselor (PAC) twice ruled the letter should be released under the FOIA.

The district filed two exemption requests with the PAC that claimed the letter was a private matter and a personnel matter, respectively. Both exemption requests were flatly rejected by the PAC Sept. 29. The PAC’s ruling stated District 205 should “…release the letter to [TRRT Staff Writer] Mr. [Joe] McGehee after providing Dr. Hardy written notice…”. The PAC office went on to state that their ruling should “…serve to close this matter.”

The Illinois Press Association (IPA), TRRT and TRRT Staff Writer Joe McGehee filed a lawsuit against District 205 and Sheffield Nov. 3 stemming from the district’s refusal to release the letter.

From this newspaper’s perspective, despite whatever a local radio station does, the letter from Hardy to District 205 is not in the public domain until the letter is either released directly by the person who wrote the letter (Hardy) or through a FOIA request through District 205. Attempts to obtain the letter directly from Hardy have been unsuccessful.

To publish the letter prior to obtaining it through the proper channels would be highly irresponsible, and there would be no guarantee the letter was 100 percent authentic. TRRT will continue in its efforts to obtain the letter in a responsible manner, and will share it with readers as soon as it is obtained.

Meantime, a preliminary hearing in the lawsuit filed against District 205 by TRRT and the IPA is scheduled for Feb. 2, 2011, in Room 426 of the Winnebago County Courthouse.