Resident urges Elmbrook board to disclose total legal costs after 2020 lawsuit judgment

During the citizens forum this evening a resident asked the School District of Elmbrook Board of Education to disclose the district’s total costs defending a 2020 lawsuit that ended with a judgment of $13,247.33 against two board members for plaintiffs’ legal fees. Angie Pingle (resident) and Angie (again speaking later on start-time) raised concerns; the initial public comment was made by Angie Pingle (resident) and a second comment on legal transparency came from Angie Pingle (resident). The speaker asked the board to go beyond the published local news coverage and make a public, line‑item disclosure at a future meeting of the amount paid to the plaintiff’s counsel and the full cost to defend the action, because, she said, taxpayers have a right to know how public resources were spent. Why it matters: tax dollars used for litigation, settlements and legal fees are subject to public oversight and disclosure expectations. The speaker framed the request as part of the district’s transparency obligations and argued that an admission of error might have avoided the action and costs. The resident also suggested the district consider new outside counsel in the future. The board did not formally respond during the citizens forum; the item closed after the comment and the meeting moved on to the consent agenda. Board members did not announce a timeline for a public disclosure in response to this request. Because the resident’s statement alleged litigation history and requested a public accounting, the district may choose to provide an itemized report on legal expenditures at a future meeting or in its public financial reports. The transcript shows the plaintiff’s award amount as $13,247.33 and the speaker’s request that the total defense cost be disclosed at the next meeting.