Plano ISD principal seeks hearing after termination notice

Jennifer King, the principal at Brinker Elementary in Plano, is taking steps to contest the district’s decision to terminate her employment. The move follows a unanimous vote by Plano Independent School District trustees on August 13 to send her a notice of contract termination for good cause.

King had been placed on administrative leave in July after allegations surfaced regarding her handling of misconduct claims against a second-grade teacher.

During a school board meeting on September 8, trustees met in closed session with legal counsel to discuss King’s termination and the upcoming hearing process. Under state regulations, King had 15 days from the initial notice to file a request with the Texas education commissioner for an administrative review.

If she had not filed this request, the board would have proceeded with a second vote to finalize the dismissal. The consultation with attorneys indicates that King has initiated the appeal process.

The termination decision stems from a lawsuit filed in July against the district, King, and Paul Campbell, a former second-grade teacher. The civil suit alleges that King failed to report a parent’s claim that Campbell inappropriately touched a female student. The plaintiffs also assert that King denied a request to transfer another child out of Campbell’s class and did not conduct further investigation.

The lawsuit claims these actions allowed Campbell to continue abusing eight-year-old girls in his classroom. The Fortenberry Firm represents the family in this civil case.

King, Campbell, and the district have all filed general denials of the claims. The district, represented by Abernathy, Roeder, Boyd & Hullett, also asserted governmental immunity. While King has not faced criminal charges, the Plano Police Department confirmed it is investigating a referral received from Child Protective Services on July 9.

In Texas, failure to report suspected child abuse is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail, and can be a state jail felony if a principal intends to conceal the abuse.

The Texas Education Agency reported King to the state on July 9. Following a preliminary review, the agency flagged her certification on August 18 and listed her on the Do Not Hire Registry as under investigation. Meanwhile, Campbell remains in Collin County Jail with a bond set at $2.5 million. He faces four felony child sex abuse charges.

Source: Texas Scorecard.

Sources

https://texasscorecard.com/local/plano-isd-principal-to-appeal-firing-for-failure-to-report/