In the wake of many instances wherein The Observer has set forth the conflict of interest and the blatant violations of D220’s Code of Conduct and Board Policies by Board Member Erin Chan Ding, we have recently learned that Chan Ding’s violations continue and, due to complete lack of accountability by District Superintendent Winkelman and Board President Ficke Bradford, Chan Ding has actually been emboldened.
You’ll recall that at the July 15th Board of Education meeting, President Ficke Bradford asserted:
“As many are aware, District 220 Board Member Erin Chan Ding has declared her intent to run for State Representative of the 52nd District, and it’s within Erin’s right to do so, and Erin is aware of the Board policies and the laws that are in place.
We have consulted with our counsel, um, to confirm that merely running for an office, um, for political office, while refraining from engaging in any prohibited political activity while acting as a Board member or on School District property does not constitute a violation of the Board’s Code of Conduct. Erin and all Board Members are aware of the policies the Board does have in place.”
In fact, there are D220 Policies that specifically address these issues (in addition to those we have previously brought to the readers’ attention):
8:25 Advertising and Distributing Materials in Schools Provided by Non-School Related Entities
Political Candidates or Parties
Candidates and political parties will not be accepted for posting or distribution, except when used as part of the curriculum.
And,
2:105 Ethics and Gift Ban
Prohibited Political Activity
The following precepts govern political activities being conducted by District employees andBoard of Education members:
2. No Board member or employee shall intentionally use any District property or resources in connection with any political activity.
Yet, despite the direct admonition of Board President Ficke Bradford, and the explicit prohibition of political activity by two Board policies, we are given to understand that Board Member Chan Ding, in her dual capacity as a D220 Board Member and as a political candidate for the Democratic nomination for the 52nd District, attended both the Barrington High School and the Station Middle School Back to School nights, on School District property, where she handed out her political flyers for her run for the 52nd District and solicited signatures for her petitions to get on that ballot.
Craig and Sandra, your credibility is shot. You continually allow Chan Ding to flagrantly violate Board policy without any admonition, abusing her power, departing from the Board’s purpose, and destroying the public trust.
Shame on you.
Related: “District 220 Board of Education meets tonight (9.15.25),” “District 220 posts Notice of Tentative Budget Public Hearing,” “Dual School Board and State Rep Positions Legally Incompatible,” “D220 Abuses Taxpayer Funds in favor of Partisan Campaign,” “Ding In Her Own Words – CONFLICTED!,” “District 220 Board of Education meets this evening (07.15.25)” “Ding Doubles Down,” “Ding’s D220 Deception,” “Chan Ding running in Democratic primary in 52nd,” “Three (3) Democratic candidates queued to run for the IL 52nd District House seat in 2026”