I'm good to go. Good afternoon. This meeting is now convened at 02:02PM. I would like to ask everybody to please silence their cell phones. A quorum of the board members is present in the board the Board members is present in the Board Auditorium today. Our first order of business is to hear from speakers, to the agenda. Public comment during school board meetings will only be available to those persons who have signed up to speak prior to the meeting time for current protocol. Verbal and other disruptions by persons during the school board meetings are not acceptable as they inhibit the board's ability to conduct business and the public's ability to observe those
processes. Persons who participate in such behavior will be given one warning and if the behavior is repeated, they will be asked to leave the meeting. We have one registered speaker today who is limited to two minutes per Board policy. We ask that you stay on topic naming individuals, especially students as their identity is protected under the law. But you may name your own child. I ask that you please respect our procedures and in your comments promptly, when your time is expired and the timer rings. Do we have, Alina Sotelo here? Doesn't look like it. So we will now conduct the hearing scheduled for this meeting.
The purpose of this meeting is is to consider the recommendation of the independent hearing examiner in the manner of Duane, Breckford, teacher at Tanglewood Middle School. Hearings involve complaints against district employees are to be held in closed session unless everyone who is the subject of the hearing requests an open hearing. If both parties request an open session during this hearing, the Board may go into closed session and consult with its attorneys under the terms of the Texas Government Code Section 551.071.
If any Board member wishes to seek the advice of counsel, please make this request known to me. For the record, Duane Beckford is present. Melissa Goins is present representing the administration. Present is Katasha Woods, our General Counsel is also present. Mr. Beckford, do you wish to continue in open session or closed session? Closed session. Closed session, okay. If the parties are not involved in this hearing, you must leave the auditorium at this time. The Board will now recess to closed session under Chapter five fifty one of the Texas Government Code Open Meetings Act,
subsection 551.004 through 551.089. Should Board final action, vote or decision of any matter considered in the closed session be required, such final action, vote or decision shall be taken at the open meeting covered by this notice upon the reconvening of the public meeting or at a subsequent public meeting of the board upon the notice thereof. The board has recessed to closed session at 02:06PM on 06/12/2025. So this board meeting is now
reconvened in the auditorium at, 02:24, pm. Are we live streaming now? Yeah, let me know when we are. We're good? Okay. The Board is ready to vote. Please, please go ahead and open the auditorium for anyone who wants to come in. The Special Meeting of the School Board of the Houston Independence School District is now currently convened in open session at 02:25PM. Board members, do I have a motion? You should click on your make sure you have your on the floor. Okay. Okay. Actually,
I think your motion was already made by Board Member Flowers. You wanna read it? I move that we adopt the decision recommendation of the independent hearing examiner, adopt the findings of fact and conclusions of law recommended by the independent hearing examiner and approve the administration's proposal to terminate respondent, Wayne Beckford's twenty four-twenty five one year probationary contract for good cause. Okay. We have a motion and a second. Is there a second? There we go. Here we go. Okay. We have motion and second. Okay. Board members, please please vote. It'll be coming up what's that?
Pardon me? Okay. I don't see. Okay. Everybody else can vote then? Okay. We have, motion passes, six favored. Okay. The Board has voted six-four and zero against. Letter notifying the both parties of the action of the Board shall be and signed by the Executive Director of Board Relations as soon as possible. This hearing is concluded at 02:26PM. A letter note that's okay. Good. We're good. Okay. Okay. It was Marty Goosen. Marty Goosen. Yes. Thank you. Yes. All right.
Our next item on our agenda is Level three Dispute Resolution Hearing. I'm sorry? Are you ready? Okay. Okay. Let me know when you're ready. We're good to go now? Okay, great. This is a level three dispute resolution hearing, which would be, Tyrone Shealy. The purpose of this meeting is to consider a dispute filed by Tyrone Shealy, School Counselor Eskew, Elementary School. Hearings involving campus complaints against district employees are to be held in closed session unless an employee who is the subject of the hearing, requests an open hearing.
If both parties require or request an open hearing during the course of the hearing, the Board may go into a closed session Texas Government Code Section 551.071. If any Board member wishes to seek the advice of Castle, please make this request known to me. For the record, Christopher Tridico is here representing Tyrone Shealy is also present. Eric Graham, HISD's Deputy General Counsel is representing the administration is present and Catasha Wood, HISD's General Counsel is also present.
Mr. Tridico, do you wish to continue in open or closed session? Open please. Okay. Okay, the issues, before the the school board are whether board policies and administrative procedures were correctly applied to the agreement and whether the administration has violated these policies and procedures. Mr. Shealy, since you asked the Board hear this matter, your representative will proceed first. Mr. Tridico, will be allowed to make a ten minute presentation, to the Board followed by a ten minute presentation by Ms. Graham. Mr. Tridico, you may reserve part of your ten minutes for rebuttal to the matters presented by
Ms. Graham. Both sides will be available for questions from the Board after the representative presentations and after deliberation of Board renders decision. Any questions about how we're going to run this? Okay. Good. How would you like to divide your time? Quite frankly, I don't know if I use use all of my time, but if I do, I'll reserve three minutes. Okay. Okay, you may begin. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for hearing us today. My name is Chris Tridico, for those of you I haven't had the privilege of appearing in front of yet.
And I have the privilege of representing Tyrone Shealy today. This is, a lev as as, mister Campos said, a level three hearing, today. Mr. Shealy I was not Mr. Shealy's attorney before at the level two or level one presentation of this of this matter. Mr. Shealy filed at at level one and level two a title nine complaint, a, bullying complaints, and and a, retaliation complaints. The crux of this matter is,
his complaint, title nine complaint against doctor Curtin, his prior prior principal for inappropriate touching, sexualized remarks that were made to mister Shealy. Mister Shealy complained to Julia Dimmit, a employee at the time, who was at the time an area superintendent at HISD. Julia Dimmit, began an investigation and Mr. Shealy, at the request of his, therapist went out on FMLA for about three weeks. He had to use his paid time off that he had had reserved to get
paid while he was out on FMLA. Immediately upon his return from FMLA, he was transferred involuntarily to pay, same grade, and the same job, counselor, but it was thirty five minutes from his home. Forster Elementary, where he'd been, was twelve minutes from his home. As I said, it was not discussed with him prior to his his leaving. This move was in, Mr. Shealy's, out I believe was in retaliation because he had exposed at the campus the the inappropriate touching,
inappropriate social remarks, and he had been discussing what he had, uncovered, he believed was the improper funding mechanism, use of the then Achieve one hundred and eighty, funding mechanism that the district was using. And he had been discussing this with the principal and with others that they were improperly using the Achieve one 180 funds, which they, he believed, they were then retaliating against him for, pointing out that they were improperly using those funds. The bullying grievances followed this act of retaliation
and part and partial of his complaints of, the complaints that he had made. In his second act of bullying, members of the Forrester Administration then filed a complaint against him for theft and misuse of district resources. He was then investigated by the district when he returned from his leave, and that complaint was ruled to be unfounded. So that was an act of retaliate another act of retaliation by the district. At level two, the hearing officer ruled against mister Shealy,
and he came he comes to you. It's taken several years to get to you here, and mister Shealy's waited a long time. Ladies and gentlemen, it would be easy for you to rubber stamp this decision at level two. You're not the board that was here when all of this happened. And it'd be simple and easy to rubber stamp it and say it's done and let's get out of here. The responsible thing to do is to examine this record. Look at what happened to him. Look at what he's been through. In all this time, he's still a good, solid employee for this district. All he did,
the only thing he did wrong was point out that a principal in this district was touching him inappropriately, touching his genitals, touching him in the wrong places, touching others in the wrong places, and make a complaint about that to an area superintendent. And because of that, he was forced to go out on FMLA and use his own time to get paid while he was out. And then he was moved to another part of the district. And then retaliated against for pointing out other improprieties in the district. The things he's asked for in his grievance, dropped a request for the transfer and putting back at Forrester,
ASQ so long he likes it. He'll stay. So we're dropping that request. We're dropping the request for an apology. The people that he that did this to him have all been fired. They're all gone. So he didn't want that anymore. Leave him where he is. He doesn't want an apology. What he wants you to do is give him the paid time off days back that he had to pay that he had to use while he was on FMLA. Giving that money back. And he lost $7,000 that he would have gotten in a stipend in the 2021 school year, or '20 either the 2021 or twenty twenty one-twenty two school year,
quite frankly, I couldn't figure out what year it was that he was transferred, that he lost in the stipend that year because of the retaliation that he suffered as a result of too much to too much to ask for, for being being abused by a principal and being retaliated against for making a complaint about it. That's all he wants from you, ladies and gentlemen. I thank you very much for your time. Thank you. Good afternoon, members of the Board, Board President. My name is Erica Graham, and I am Deputy General Counsel for HISD,
and I'm here representing the Administration this afternoon in this matter. Lateral. Reassignment. If you don't remember anything else I say within the next few minutes, please remember those two words. Lateral. Reassignment. Because that's what this case is about. Reassignment. Because that's what this case is about. It's not about termination, it's not about demotion, it's not about bullying, it's not about a Title IX sexual complaint. This case is about a lateral reassignment. Paragraph five of HISD's one year probationary contract, which you'll see at administration exhibit A11, includes a provision which states as follows,
Because the employee is not employed to fill a specific position or assignment, an employee shall at any time be subject to reassignment and assignment of positions of duties, additional duties, changes in responsibilities, or work transfers, or reclassifications at any time for which the employee is professionally certified or otherwise qualified to perform. In October 2021, Mr. Shealy was employed under a one year probationary contract and was reassigned from a full time counselor position at Forrester Elementary to a full time counselor position at Askew Elementary
due to a lower than projected enrollment at Forrester that resulted in a major budget deficit on that campus. Mr. Shealy's, employment with the district was not terminated, he was not demoted, he didn't take a cut in pay, he was reassigned to the exact same position at another campus. The two decision points for the board this afternoon are clear. First, did the administration violate the law or HISD Board policy when the decision was made to reassign Mr. Shealy? The answer is no. Board policy DK Local, which is found in administration exhibit A6,
and the one year probationary contract that he was employed under, gives the administration the right to laterally reassign him. Second decision point. Was Mr. Shealy subjected to workplace bullying by the administrative staff at Forrester prior to his reassignment? Did he make a Title IX complaint prior to his reassignment? Both answers to those questions are no. The evidence presented at level two in the transcript, which again, didn't mention anything about a Title IX, didn't mention anything about sexual contact or sexual comments,
shows that a bullying, a workplace bullying investigation administration respectfully requests that the board oppose the level two hearing officer's decision. Therefore, the administration respectfully requests that the board oppose the level two hearing officer's decision, and the administration respectfully requests that the board oppose the Level two Hearing Officer's decision and deny Mr. Shealy's grievance in its entirety. Let's talk about the decisions, the district's decision to reassign very very quickly. At the beginning of the twenty one-twenty two school year, the administration of Foster Elementary was looking down the barrel of a 314,000 budget deficit. It was due to low enrollment. When the campuses and central offices of this district, it was due to low enrollment. When the campuses and central offices of this district, it was due to low enrollment. When the campuses and central offices of this district, it was due to low enrollment. When the to low enrollment. When the campuses and central offices of this district face that kind of budget deficit,
we have to reduce force at the campus and eliminate positions. Because these people are under, most of these are teachers and staff that are under contracts, we don't terminate them. We move them to campuses that can afford them. If you turn to administration exhibits fourteen and fifteen, you'll see the enrollment summary by campus type, you'll see the budget variance that shows the $314,000 deficit that Forrester was under for that school year. Also, if you turn to administration exhibit, number 14, you'll see that that was an exhibit that was generated by the student assessment department
and by the budgeting department. If you turn to the transcript at page 44 starting at line one, you'll see School Support Officer Cooper's explanation of the steps the school office took to address the budget deficit. You'll see that Mr. Shealy's was not the first position or the only position eliminated from that campus. When the dust settled there were a total of five positions, some of core teachers and other of teacher specialists that were eliminated. Since all these employees were on teacher contracts, again, they were laterally reassigned to other campuses. In other words,
the decision to reassign Mr. Shewing was not arbitrary, capricious, discriminatory, or retaliatory. The administration had a legitimate business interest for taking the actions they took to reduce the budget deficit at Forrester. Also, Mr. Shealy would have you to believe that he was eliminated because he involved he got himself involved or the campus disliked him or he was engaged in protected activity. That just is not the case. First, you'll see from the transcript starting at page 47, line two, that Mr. Shealy had three separate meetings regarding his reassignment.
The first on October 13 with Ms. Cooper and the former principal, the second on October 14 at Mr. Shealy's request with Assistant October 15. Then on October 20, only after Mr. Shealy's reassignment from Foster was finalized, did he file four workplace complaints against the entire administrative team at Forrester and SSO Cooper. The Title IX complaint that he filed was after the fact. It was after the fact. And as you can see from Mr. Coop, Ms. Cooper's testimony,
aware of any alleged workplace bullying, any Title IX complaints. And then the campus leveling process is not something new. We level campuses all the time after October Snapshots because we have to have the appropriate staff at the appropriate campuses that can afford them. Again, the district had a legitimate business interest for making the reassignment of Mr. Sheelan. The bullying claims, as you can see, DIA local is our HISD board policy against workplace bullying and it's a very clear
definition, but I want to point out that the policy expressly states that workplace bullying does not include legitimate exercise of employee management, task assignment, employee coaching, and work related employee discipline. As previously stated, the record shows that Mr. Shealy did not file any type of workplace bullying complaints or Title IX complaints prior to 10/20/2021, until after his reassignment was final. And the examples of workplace bullying, I'm not going to go through those because,
frankly they just don't rise to the level of workplace bullying under policy. The workplace bullying investigation, if you turn the transcript, starting at page 60, line nine, you'll see that there was a complete investigation done and that there was no workplace bullying found. And the reason why, we also investigated after the fact, again, after these workplace bullying complaints were filed, after he was reauthorized, again, after these workplace bullying complaints were filed, after he was reassigned, the Title IX complaint was investigated and the Title IX complaint was not substantiated. In conclusion,
over the past few years, due to decreases during enrollment, legislature recapture, HISD have had to make some tough decisions with respect to reducing its workforce at campus where he's been since the twenty one-twenty two school. He stands before you here today, employed at a campus where he's been since the twenty one-twenty two school year. No cuts in pay, no changes in benefit. I'd also like to speak to very quickly the allegations regarding the Achieve one hundred and eighty position. The Achieve one hundred and eighty, claimed of misuse funds. Foster Elementary was not an Achieve one hundred and eighty campus for the twenty one-twenty
two school year. Mr. Shealy argued that it was, and that it should have been receiving funding from the central office to fund his position. By way of background, Achieve 180 was a district initiative, not instituted or mandated by the state law, or TEA. One of the aspects of the Achieve 180 program is that it received funding from the central office for what the district deemed more essential positions. However, Forrester was not an Achieve one hundred and eighty campus during the twenty one-twenty two school year. If you look at the transcript, pages 51,
line seven, through page 52, line 10, you will see where Ms. Cooper testified that it was not. And that those funds Achieve one hundred and eighty campus. Mr. Shealy also determined that he, that there were other funding options potentially available. The district did what the district had to do to keep this school afloat. No policy was violated. No law was violated. Mr. Shealy was not even violated. Therefore, we ask that the board uphold the Level two Hearing Officer's decision and deny Mr. Shealy's grievance in its entirety. Thank you.
Thank you. Mr. Tricco. Thank you. The records request that mister Shealy did to the district, in his, opinion confirmed for him that there was funding in place for chief one hundred and eighty for his school, Forrester, which is why he made the complaint and what what he based his complaint upon. His title nine, complaints, that he filed were at the, advice of the people who were advising opinions of the people who were advising him at the time drove, drove him and and drove him down the path that he was on.
The the timing of the Title IX complaints do not change or alter whether or not they are true. The timing is the timing is whether or not they fall within the statute of limitations. It does make them true or false. It means that they still need to be looked at. They were investigated and denied, which is why he has a right to appeal and why he comes to you. That doesn't make them true or false as to whether or not as to when they were filed. That's why he comes to you today. Counsel makes a big argument about the timing of the filing that doesn't change the truth
or veracity of the filing. And that's why he asked you to look at it. And that's why he asked you to reimburse him, not reimburse him, give him back his days and give him back his stipend that he would have gotten had he not been transferred. Thank you. Thank you. Board members, any questions? Okay. The parties have completed their presentations. It's now time for Board members to make our decision on the issues before us. We must only apply the facts presented in the transcript to the applicable policy or law and make a decision.
If there's is any dispute between Mr. Shealy and the Administration as to what the policies and or procedures mean, then it's the Board's responsibility to determine the meaning of or application of the policies and procedures. The record of the Level two hearing must support any action we take. That is the record supports the position of the administration or the position of Mr. Shealy. We may find accordingly. Is there any discussion? We need a session in the back. No? Okay. So let's, do we have a motion?
I move that we deny all requested relief not previously granted by the level two hearing officer and uphold the decision of the Level two Hearing Officer. Do you have a second? I second. Okay. We have a motion and a second. Board members please vote. Voting has closed, the motion passes. A letter notifying both parties of, the action of the board shall be prepared and signed by the Executive Director of Board of Relations as soon as possible. This hearing is concluded at 02:52PM. Thank you. Okay. Next matter is I'm sorry, go ahead. Okay, go ahead. Ready now.
Okay, this is the matter of Monica Irizarry, on June 12. The purpose of this meeting is to consider the recommendation of the independent hearing examiner, in this matter, Monica Irizarry, teacher at Rutgers Elementary School. Hearings involving complaints of district employees are to be held in closed session unless the employee who is subject to the hearing requests an open hearing. If both parties, request an open session during the hearing, the Board may go into closed session to consult with attorneys under the terms of Texas Government Code Section 551.071.
If any Board member wishes to seek advice counsel, please let it be known to me. Let's see. We do not have, Ms. Irizarry present or their counsel, correct? I'm sorry? Okay. So what do we, do we we have to continue this because is that correct? What was it? The, employee received notice, so we're gonna move forward with the hearing. Move forward with the hearing? Okay. Okay. Let's see here. Let's go through the normal hearing without Okay. I haven't had one of these before. You you wanna go in a closed session then? Okay. That's what we'll do then.
The Board will now recess into closed session under five fifty one of Texas Government Code Open Meetings Act, subsection 551.004 through 551.089. Should the Board's final action vote or decision of any matters considered in the closed session be required of the final action, vote or decision shall be taken in the open meeting covered by the notice upon the reconvening of this public meeting or public meeting upon notice thereof. Board has recessed to closed session at 02:55PM on 06/12/2025.
So anybody who we're getting ready to vote so let's go ahead and open the meeting up. Please open the auditorium doors and begin. This special meeting for the School Board of the Easton Independent School District is now reconvening in open session. Time is 03:04PM. So we need to get live stream going. Let me know when you're ready. Are we good to go? One second. Okay? Okay. The Special Meeting of the School Board of the Houston Independent School District is now reconvening in open session. The time is 03:05PM. Do I have a motion? I move that we adopt the decision and recommendation of the independent hearing examiner,
adopt the findings and facts and conclusions of law recommended by the independent hearing examiner and deny respondents appeal from the proposed termination of her probationary contract and that we terminate the probationary contract between Monica Azari and HISD. Okay. We have motion and second. Please vote. Okay, the board has voted six, four and zero against. A letter notifying both parties of the action of this board shall be prepared and signed by the Executive Director of Board Relations as soon as possible. This hearing is concluded at 03:06PM. Okay,
now we are going to this time, the Board will recess to closed session under five fifty one of the Texas Government Code Open Meetings Act, subsection 551.004 through 551.089. Should Board final action, vote or decision on any matter considering the closed session be required, such final action, vote or decision shall be taken at an open meeting covered by this notice upon the reconvening of the public meeting or subsequent public meeting, of the Board upon notice thereof. The Board has recessed a closed session at 03:06PM on 06/22/2025.
We are going to go back to the board. Okay? Everybody here? Okay, this meeting of the, School Board is now back in open session at 04:09PM. Do I have a motion from the closed session? I move that the board approves the closed session personnel agenda including specifically that the board approves proposed terminations, non renewals of continuing term performance and probationary contracts and authorize the superintendent or designee to provide notice the same that the board approves suspensions without pay for continuing term and probationary contracts and authorize the superintendent or designee to provide notice the same that
the board voids term, probationary, and performance contracts and authorizes superintendents or designee to provide notice of the same, that the board approves withdrawals of contract recommendations, that the board approves issuance of final orders on contract terminations and nonrenewals as discussed in closed session effective 06/13/2025. Is there a second? We have a second. Board Members, any questions or comments? If not, please vote. Okay. The motion passes. I think we have one other item. We're in closed session. Don't we have the Williams? I move that the Board grant authority to the superintendent to negotiate, execute,
and amend an agreement with Williams Tower LP for trunk radio antenna and repeater space. Is there a second? Okay, We have a second. Please vote. Alright. Motion Thank you. I don't think we have anything else on the agenda. So, the, School Board Meeting is now adjourned at 04:11PM. Thank you.