| ILLINOIS SCHOOL SYSTEM AUDITThe Hastings DynastyOrland Hills, Illinois — A Political Machine Mapped |
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| 3Family members in office | 30+Years controlling Orland Hills | 10Federal civil rights counts | 6Children — how many in govt? |
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866-312-6456 | auditor@illinoisschooldistrictaudit.com | IllinoisSchoolDistrictAudit.com | May 2026
| The Most Important FindingIn a village of 6,893 people in southwest Cook County, one family has controlled government at every level for over 30 years — village, township, state legislature, and regional transit. Kyle R. Hastings has been Mayor of Orland Hills since 1993. His son Michael E. Hastings is an Illinois State Senator. His son Kyle Hastings II serves as a Village Trustee. In 2025, the family was named in a 10-count federal civil rights lawsuit for allegedly using government resources — including a marked police cruiser — to physically disrupt a rival political party's caucus. This is not alleged. It is documented in a federal court complaint filed in the Northern District of Illinois. |
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Kyle R. Hastings Sr. — The Patriarch
| Item | Detail |
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| Current title | Mayor (Village President), Village of Orland Hills |
| In office since | 1993 — longest-serving mayor in Orland Hills history |
| Education | B.S. Illinois State University; M.S. Governors State University; Leadership Institute for Superintendents, Harvard University |
| Other positions — current | Director, Pace Suburban Bus Board (representing SW Suburban Cook County, since 2007) |
| Other positions — past | President, South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association; Two-term Commissioner, Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission; Member, Southwest Council of Local Governments |
| Career in education | Superintendent, Bellwood School District 88; Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction, Bloom Township HSD 206 |
| Family | Wife: Mary Hastings; 6 children including Michael E. Hastings and Kyle R. Hastings II |
| Political vehicle | People's Choice Party (Orland Hills-based political organization) |
| Federal civil rights suit | Named defendant, O'Grady v. Hastings (N.D. Ill., filed Jan 2026) |
| Notable award | Excellence in Government Award, Moraine Valley Community College; Congressional recognition from Rep. Bobby Rush (2011) |
| ⚠ THE PACE BUS BOARD CONNECTIONKyle Hastings Sr. has served on the Pace Suburban Bus Board of Directors since 2007 — representing Southwest Suburban Cook County. Pace is a regional transit authority with a multi-hundred-million-dollar annual budget. Pace awards contracts. The same man who controls Orland Hills' village government, whose son controls the 19th State Senate District, and whose political organization controls Orland Township, also sits on the board that awards regional transit contracts. This is not a conflict that has ever been publicly examined. |
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| ⚠ SUPERINTENDENT OF BELLWOOD SD 88Before becoming Mayor, Kyle Hastings Sr. was Superintendent of Bellwood School District 88. He was 'voted out' of that position. He then became Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum at Bloom Township HSD 206 — hired in a 5-2 board vote despite having been removed from his prior superintendency. The same family whose patriarch was voted out as a school superintendent now controls school-related legislation through a state senator son who previously served on D230's school board. |
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Michael E. Hastings — The State Senator
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current title | Illinois State Senator, 19th Legislative District |
| In office since | 2012 — one of youngest state senators in IL history at time of election |
| District covers | Lockport, New Lenox, Mokena, Orland Park, Tinley Park, Frankfort, Homer Glen, Joliet, Richton Park, Matteson, Olympia Fields, Country Club Hills, Hazel Crest, Oak Forest |
| Education | B.S. Leadership & Management, U.S. Military Academy at West Point (2003); MBA, University of Illinois (honors); JD, John Marshall Law School |
| Military | Captain, U.S. Army; Iraq War veteran; aide-de-camp to commanding general, 1st Infantry Division |
| Pre-Senate career | Johnson & Johnson Biosurgery sales division; Board Trustee then Vice President, D230; Finance/Education committee co-chair, D230 |
| Current law practice | Practices law in southwest suburbs (Frankfort office) |
| Senate committees | Chair, Senate Judiciary Committee |
| Cook County Dem Party | First Vice-Chair, Cook County Democratic Party |
| D230 connection | Elected to D230 Board of Trustees; served as Vice President; co-chaired Finance and Education committees — before running for State Senate |
| Federal civil rights suit | Named defendant, O'Grady v. Hastings — alleged 'F*** you, I don't care,' 'shut your f***ing mouth,' physically pushed toward caucus attendees, made false statements to police |
| Divorce / abuse allegation | Wife Kathleen Hastings told police he put her in a headlock and slammed her into a door in 2020. Hastings denied. Will County Circuit Court SEALED the entire divorce proceeding from public view — extraordinary and unexplained. |
| Environmental lobbyist complaint | Jen Walling, IL Environmental Council exec dir: Hastings 'yelled at her, pounded his hands on a table' and 'approached her in a menacing manner' in the Capitol — reported publicly Sept 2022 |
| ⚠ D230 → STATE SENATE PIPELINEMichael Hastings used his D230 board seat as the launch pad for his state senate campaign. He served on D230's board covering finance and education — the same district where: transportation fraud (513,123 miles in one year) was never audited; $54M in non-referendum bonds were issued; and insurance renewals were placed on consent agenda without competitive bidding. He then won a state senate seat covering D230's geographic area. He now has legislative authority over ISBE — the agency that would investigate D230's anomalies. This is structural. |
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| ⚠ SEALED DIVORCE PROCEEDINGWill County Circuit Court sealed the ENTIRE divorce proceeding between Michael Hastings and Kathleen Hastings from public view. Divorce proceedings are public records in Illinois. Sealing requires a judicial order citing specific grounds. The court has not explained why. Kathleen Hastings told police he physically abused her in 2020. The combination of a sealed court record and an unexplained judicial order in the district of a powerful state senator demands explanation. |
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Kyle R. Hastings II — The Son in the Village
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current title | Village Trustee, Village of Orland Hills |
| How appointed | Appointed by his father, Mayor Kyle Hastings Sr., to fill a vacancy ca. 2010 |
| BGA flag | Better Government Association flagged the appointment: 'When public officials hire family members for positions in lieu of engaging in a public and transparent hiring process, taxpayers can get shortchanged' |
| 50th Anniversary committee | Chaired the Orland Hills 50th Anniversary Committee (2011); cited by Congressman Bobby Rush in a congressional tribute entered into the Congressional Record |
| Political vehicle | People's Choice Party (same as father) |
| Federal civil rights suit | Named defendant, O'Grady v. Hastings — present at caucus disruption as village trustee |
| Current status | Ran for Village President April 1, 2025 on People's Choice Party ballot |
| ⚠ APPOINTED BY HIS OWN FATHERKyle Hastings Sr. appointed Kyle Hastings II to the Orland Hills Village Board to fill a vacancy. No competitive search. No public application process. Father appoints son. Son then campaigns under the same political party as father. Father runs for re-election in 2025 under the People's Choice Party while son also on ballot. The Better Government Association flagged this in 2010. Nothing changed. |
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Mary Hastings — The Matriarch
Role: Wife of Mayor Kyle Hastings Sr.; mother of six children including Michael and Kyle II
Public profile: Present at public village events; cited in Congressional tribute (2011)
Investigation status: No public office identified. FOIA: Review village vendor payments and any contracts involving Hastings family members or affiliated businesses.
The Other Four Children — Six Total
| Six Children — How Many in Government?Kyle and Mary Hastings have six children. Michael (State Senator) and Kyle II (Village Trustee) are documented. Four others are unidentified in public records reviewed. Given the family's pattern of placing members in appointed and elected positions across Orland Hills, Orland Township, and the region, the remaining four children require investigation. Search Illinois SOS election records, township board rosters, park district boards, library boards, and school board membership lists for any Hastings family members. |
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| The People's Choice PartyThe Hastings family operates through the 'People's Choice Party' — a local political organization based in the Orland Hills area. The People's Choice Party runs candidates for village offices in Orland Hills. The 'Orland Township United Party' (OTU) is the Hastings-aligned township party. South Cook News lists 'People's Choice of Orland Hills' and 'People's Choice Party' as registered political committees in Illinois. These are not just candidate vehicles — they are political organizations that control endorsements, fund campaigns, and coordinate candidates across multiple levels of government. |
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| Level | Hastings Presence | Current Status |
|---|---|---|
| Village of Orland Hills | Mayor Kyle Hastings Sr.; Trustee Kyle II | Sr. ran for re-election April 2025 (People's Choice) |
| Orland Township | Orland Township United Party (OTU) | Federal lawsuit filed after Dec 2025 caucus disruption |
| Illinois State Senate (19th Dist) | Sen. Michael E. Hastings (D) | In office; Chair Senate Judiciary Committee |
| Cook County Democratic Party | Michael Hastings: First Vice-Chair | Controls Democratic endorsements in Cook County |
| Pace Suburban Bus Board | Kyle Hastings Sr.: Director since 2007 | Southwest Suburban Cook County representative |
| D230 School Board | Michael Hastings: Trustee/VP (before Senate) | Pipeline to state legislature; now has legislative authority over ISBE |
| Northeastern IL Planning Commission | Kyle Hastings Sr.: Two-term Commissioner | Regional land use and development planning |
| South Suburban Mayors Assoc | Kyle Hastings Sr.: Past President | Network of southwest suburban municipalities |
| SW Council of Local Governments | Kyle Hastings Sr.: Member | Intergovernmental coordination; vendor relationships |
| Filed: January 2026 | Northern District of Illinois | 10 CountsThree members of the Hastings family are named defendants: Illinois State Senator Michael Hastings, Mayor Kyle Hastings Sr., and Village Trustee Kyle Hastings II. Also named: Orland Township Clerk Cindy Murray, Village of Orland Hills, Orland Hills Police Department, and Orland Township. |
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What the Complaint Alleges
On December 3, 2025, members of the rival 'Orland Township Together Party' (OTT) gathered to hold a lawful political caucus to slate candidates for township offices. According to the federal complaint:
Sen. Michael Hastings led a 'mob' to the caucus site to physically prevent the rival party from conducting its caucus
Mayor Kyle Hastings Sr. arrived in a MARKED ORLAND HILLS POLICE CRUISER accompanied by at least one uniformed Orland Hills police officer
Both Hastings Sr. and Hastings Jr. attempted to physically push past caucus officials blocking the entrance
Sen. Hastings told caucus chairman Paul O'Grady: 'F*** you, I don't care' and 'shut your f***ing mouth'
Defendants used a microphone and loudspeaker in the parking lot to redirect arriving caucusgoers to a fraudulent outside 'caucus'
Defendants presented sham affidavits to legitimate caucusgoers to capture their signatures for fraudulent candidates
Sen. Hastings made false statements to police that O'Grady was barred from participating and that Hastings himself was the OTT Party Chairman
Government funds were allegedly used to carry out misconduct including bus transport and a videographer
A fraudulent candidate slate was filed with the township clerk before the legitimate slate could be filed
The 10 Counts
| # | Count | Against Whom |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | First Amendment Retaliation | All individual defendants |
| 2 | Civil Conspiracy | All individual defendants |
| 3 | Monell Claim — Constitutional Violation by Final Policy Maker | Mayor Hastings Sr. + Village of Orland Hills |
| 4 | Deprivation of Constitutional Rights | All defendants |
| 5 | Conspiracy to Prevent Voting | All individual defendants |
| 6 | Defamation Per Se | Sen. Michael Hastings |
| 7 | False Light | Sen. Michael Hastings |
| 8 | Willful and Wanton Conduct | All individual defendants |
| 9 | Indemnification | Village of Orland Hills |
| 10 | Indemnification | Orland Township |
| WHAT MAKES THIS EXTRAORDINARYThe use of a marked police cruiser by the Mayor to attend a political caucus — using official government resources for a partisan political purpose — is itself a potential violation of Illinois Ethics Act (5 ILCS 430/5-15) and potentially federal law. The allegation that 'government funds were used to carry out misconduct including bus transport' implicates multiple officials in misuse of public resources. A sitting State Senator making false statements to police is an abuse of his position as a lawyer and public official. The Electoral Board subsequently removed the fraudulent Hastings-aligned slate from the ballot — confirming at least part of the underlying facts alleged. |
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| Why This Belongs in the School AuditThis is not a sidebar. This is the core of the school audit. The same family that controls Orland Hills village government, Orland Township, the 19th State Senate District, the Cook County Democratic Party, and a regional transit board also had a member sitting on D230's school board as Vice President and Finance Committee co-chair. D230 is the district with the 513,123-mile PTCRS fraud, $54M in non-referendum bonds, insurance renewals on consent agenda, and the 'Demand for Investigation' action item in December 2025. The Senator who rose from that school board now has legislative authority over ISBE — the regulator of D230. |
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| Connection | Detail |
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| Michael Hastings on D230 board | Served as Trustee, then Vice President; co-chaired Finance and Education committees |
| D230 finance committee | Hastings co-chaired the committee that reviewed transportation, insurance, and bond authorizations |
| D230 PTCRS fraud | 513,123 miles claimed in one year — occurred while or shortly after Hastings was on the board |
| D230 non-referendum bonds | $54M issued without voter approval — Hastings was Vice President during this period |
| Michael Hastings → State Senate | Left D230 board; ran for 19th District Senate seat covering D230 geography |
| Michael Hastings as Chair, Senate Judiciary | Now chairs the committee with oversight of legal issues affecting ISBE, AG enforcement, school governance |
| Kyle Hastings Sr. as Bloom 206 Asst Supt | Hired as Asst Supt Curriculum at Bloom 206 despite being voted out as superintendent of Bellwood SD 88 |
| Pace Board transportation connection | Kyle Hastings Sr. on Pace Board since 2007 — regional transit authority; D230 transportation fraud involves special ed routing |
| PUBLIC RECORDS SEALED — NO EXPLANATIONIn Illinois, divorce proceedings are public court records. Nothing comes up when searching the Will County Circuit Court computer by the names of the parties or by case number for the Hastings divorce. An employee described the case as 'impounded.' The court administrator has not explained when or why. Kathleen Hastings told police that in 2020, Michael Hastings put her in a headlock and slammed her into a door repeatedly. Hastings denied the allegations. The combination of: documented domestic incident reports, a sealed divorce proceeding, and a state senator chairing the Senate Judiciary Committee demands public accountability. |
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