School Dist. 15 administration building, Palatine. (Journal file photo)
An ethics complaint filed Monday (June 29) alleges Palatine Elementary School Dist. 15 and retiring Supt. Laurie Heinz used taxpayer money, public employee time and district resources to campaign for a $93 million school bond referendum passed in November 2022.
The complaint was submitted to the Dist. 15 Board of Education, the district’s ethics officer, the Cook County State’s Attorney and the Illinois Attorney General. It was filed by Brian Costin, deputy state director of Americans for Prosperity Illinois, and Justin Hegy, a Dist. 15 resident.
Costin and Hegy allege the district violated the Illinois Election Code, which prohibits the use of public funds to urge voters to support or oppose a ballot proposition. They also allege violations of the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act, which bars public employees from engaging in political activity during compensated time or misappropriating public resources for campaigns.
The complaint further alleges potential official misconduct, a Class 3 felony carrying a potential prison sentence of two to 10 years.
The complaint centers on a testimonial attributed to Heinz on the website of Beyond Your Base, a referendum consulting firm hired by the district. In the testimonial, Heinz states that the firm played a “critical role in helping our large and diverse district pass a successful referendum measure” and guided the district’s “pre-referendum campaign.”
Costin discovered the testimonial May 14 and shared it with Hegy the same day. The complainants argue the language proves the district went beyond providing neutral information.
According to the complaint, Dist. 15’s website categorized the referendum effort under the banner “Moving 15 Forward: Referendum.” The campaign materials described benefits of the plan, including safer schools, improved accessibility, full-day kindergarten and reduced overcrowding.
The 10-count complaint alleges that Dist. 15 conducted public opinion polling of registered voters to determine probable vote outcomes and used public funds to urge voters to support the referendum. It also argues that the slogan “Moving 15 Forward” was inherently directional and promotional rather than neutral.
Hegy’s 2022 Freedom of Information Act request revealed that Dist. 15 paid Beyond Your Base $35,925 through June 1, 2022, for costs associated with the campaign. The complaint also cites Illinois State Board of Elections records showing the firm was paid $5,540 on Nov. 4, 2022, by the political campaign committee “Yes for CCSD15 Referendum” for graphic design, web development and communications.
The complainants argue these payments raise questions about whether public resources were used to support the passage of the ballot proposition. The complaint requests a formal ethics investigation and asks that authorities require Dist. 15 to publicly disclose all vendor contracts, invoices, survey materials and legal opinions related to the referendum.
“Illinois law is clear: taxpayer resources may be used to provide voters with neutral, factual information,” Costin said in a statement. “They may not be used to campaign for a political outcome.”
Hegy called the district’s efforts a full-scale advocacy campaign. “The problem is, it’s not just unethical — it’s most likely illegal,” Hegy said.
Attempts to reach Dist. 15 Board President Samantha Bray Ader for comment on Monday were not immediately successful.
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