Parents sue Carrollton-Farmer's Branch ISD over school closures, allege nepotism and secret meetings
Parents are suing Carrollton-Farmer's Branch ISD
Parents are suing Carrollton-Farmer's Branch ISD, alleging the district's decision to close four elementary schools was influenced by nepotism and illegal secret meetings.
CAROLLTON, Texas - Parents are fighting back after Carrollton Farmer's Branch ISD voted to close four elementary schools.
They've filed a lawsuit accusing the school board of nepotism and holding secret meetings.
What we know:
According to the lawsuit, school board members not only held secret closed-door meetings about the school closures, but their family members also received jobs with the district, in violation of nepotism laws.
What they're saying:
Like many others, Candace Valenzuela's son would be starting his 5th grade year at McCoy Elementary School, but with the closure, he's now set to complete his elementary school years at a new school.
A situation upsetting many other families in Carrollton Farmer's Branch ISD.
"Some are so disheartened they are looking at charter schools, because they did not feel wanted after watching the process to close the schools," said Valenzuela.
It's the process that Valenzuela says prompted her and 12 other parents to file a lawsuit against the school district.
As they searched for answers, they said it was like peeling back an onion.
"We found out about nepotism, which is board members whose relatives were getting hired by the district while they were serving on the board, which is against policy and illegal," said Valenzuela.
"If they are doing these things in secret, we have no idea why they are making these decisions. We can't be sure they are putting the kids first."
Lawsuit details
Dig deeper:
According to the lawsuit, the superintendent promoted the wife of the school board president, Randy Schackmann, to a newly created position which amounted to a $24,000 pay increase.
About one month later, the superintendent's administration hired Schackman's stepson to the position of adjunct teacher, with a pay grade of administrative/professional.
On top of that, Valenzuela claims the board attempted to hold secret meetings before voting to close the schools.
According to the lawsuit, in one exchange the deputy superintendent asks the board secretary, "Please see if she can attend one of the other meetings in which her attendance will not create a quorum."
"Even if you divide the board into smaller segments to have these meetings, it still constitutes a quorum," she said.
Valenzuela says she was also alarmed at the board's attempts to violate Texas’s Open Meetings Act, when discussing school closures.
"If they are doing these things in secret, we have no idea why they are making these decisions. We can't be sure they are putting the kids first."
Valenzuela says the goal of the lawsuit is for five board members and the superintendent to resign.
CFB ISD's response
The other side:
FOX 4 asked the district for a response to the allegations and were told:
"The district has received a lawsuit and does not comment on pending litigation."
Seeking temporary injunction
What's next:
The attorney in the lawsuit says they are seeking a temporary injunction that would pause the school closures until there can be a jury trial.
The Source: Information in this article was provided from interviews conducted by FOX 4's Lori Brown and the parents of students at CFB ISD.