HUMBLE, Texas — Humble ISD trustees voted to formally terminate Superintendent Elizabeth Fagen’s contract on the board’s Nov. 26 assembly.
From July 2024: Humble ISD trustees vote to terminate Superintendent Elizabeth Fagen’s contract
The small print
Board members voted 6-1 in favor of terminating Fagen’s contract, with trustee Robert Sitton casting the dissenting vote.
The Nov. 26 assembly happened 4 months after HISD trustees voted to suggest the termination of Fagen’s contract. Fagen appealed the board’s determination to the Texas Training Company, which resulted in a three-day listening to spanning greater than 30 hours over Oct. 31, Nov. 1 and Nov. 6.
Controversial Humble ISD superintendent hopes mother and father will give her an opportunity
In a Nov. 25 advice issued by Karen Egbuna, the impartial listening to examiner appointed by the TEA to supervise Fagen’s attraction, Egbuna sided with the district and advisable trustees transfer ahead with terminating Fagen’s contract.
Following the assembly, Fagen mentioned she could be interesting the board’s determination to Texas Training Company Commissioner Mike Morath, noting she believes Egbuna’s advice was essentially flawed.
“There may be a whole lot of stuff in (the advice) that was by no means confirmed,” Fagen mentioned. “I assumed this was going to be a possibility for justice or a day in court docket, … and it wasn’t. That is not the way it turned out, so now we’re shifting on to the following stage of attraction.”
After the vote to terminate Fagen’s contract, board members permitted the appointment of Deputy Superintendent Roger Brown to function interim superintendent whereas the district conducts a seek for Fagen’s alternative. Brown has been serving as appearing superintendent since Fagen was positioned on paid administrative depart in Could.
Board members mentioned the district will put up the place of superintendent of colleges to inquiring job candidates on or earlier than Dec. 2.
How we acquired right here
All through Fagen’s attraction listening to, legal professionals representing the district argued Fagen’s relationship along with her husband and former HISD Athletic Director Troy Kite negatively affected the district’s means to pretty reply to a Title IX grievance filed in opposition to Kite in 2023.
In April, trustees voted to launch a report detailing the findings of the Title IX investigation launched in opposition to Kite.
Fagen married Kite in 2023 after disclosing their relationship to the board in March 2022, district officers mentioned. Fagen mentioned she recused herself from the Title IX investigation in Could 2023.
Earlier this 12 months, trustees voted 4-2 in favor of inserting Fagen on paid administrative depart in Could earlier than voting 4-3 to suggest the termination of her contract with the district in July. Board members cited “a failure to take care of a relationship with the board” as the explanation for Fagen’s proposed termination.
What they’re saying
On the Nov. 26 assembly, board President Chris Parker mentioned she misplaced belief in Fagen, noting she did not consider the connection might be repaired.
“There isn’t any enchancment plan for ethics and an absence of candor,” Parker mentioned. “There is no enchancment plan for that.”
Sitton, who voted in opposition to proposing the termination of Fagen’s contract in July, mentioned he would respect the choice of the board.
“I’ve challenged this course of because the starting,” Sitton mentioned. “My emotions have not modified on that. Nevertheless, upon conclusion of the matter by majority vote tonight, I’ll settle for the outcomes.”
What’s subsequent
Kevin O’Hanlon, an lawyer with regulation agency O’Hanlon, Demerath & Castillo who’s representing Fagen, mentioned she is going to now have 20 days to attraction the matter to Morath.
This text comes from our ABC13 companions at Neighborhood Affect Newspapers.
