While the FWISD keeps their executive session private, CIA doesn't.
We know that the district is going around requests for information on all fees related to the cases that have been dragging for years. Recently the district released information regarding fees which to some degree it doesn't make sense. Now the board will vote on increasing the legal fees to $1.2 Million which can only mean that they are going to fund more frivolous investigations and drag on with Palazzolo and all other suits brought against the district. We do know outside counsel TASB has been doing some investigations which have not been brought up for discussion even in executive session. The witch hunt continues under the current regime and we will expose each and everyone of them for their corrupt practices which is Mafia Style.
Board members why keep hiding the legal fees? Why are you not asking for transparency unless you know and are part of the system you are asked to keep accountable? What is so pressing we need to spend more money on lawyers?
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B58nQYNsVgwwRzdoQU5mTy1YM21JMjJmOVk2LWdYZ3dKX19F/view?usp=sharing
So we go back to a story the FW Weekly did on what the district paid out other lawsuits and came across what former attorney Bertha Whatley referred to as the TASB Risk Management Fund which is exactly what we have been discussing. Apparently there the district reimbursed TASB which to us sounds like a deductible type when you have a case and you pay your deductible which in this case you are giving it to yourself but it doesn't cover much of the 1 million and counting that have been spent. How much does that fund hold? Where has the money for the Chavez, Duran and others come from?
http://www.fwweekly.com/2012/06/26/school-tax-dollars-work/
Dr. Sutherland can you ask the questions for us? We need to know where our tax dollars are going because if there is a money tree somewhere we would all like to have one so that we never run out of money. Any fund has to be given funds to operate we cannot see TASB having an unsurmountable amount of money for every district in the state.
Message to Board Members: As a result of an Open Records Request to FWISD, the late Betty Brink reported on May 13, 2011 that you had already spent over $350,000 to an outside law firm and over $26,000 to the TEA Hearing Examiner - most of which appeared to be a bribe which resulted in his ruling being overturned. It is now almost 2015. You have thrown away hundreds of thousands more on depositions, failed mediation, failed battles with the Workforce Commission, failed appeals to District Court, reneged on a Rule 11 settlement, lost at trial, and got yourself two additional suits to boot. You did almost all of this without a public vote. Now you refuse to tell us how much has been spent on Palazzolo and other cases, and on top of that want a "blank check for an additional 1.2 million dollars. What are Robbins, Needham, Jackson, Sims and Moss smoking back there in Executive Session? We need this money in classrooms. http://www.fwweekly.com/2011/05/13/latest-on-the-palazzolo-case-continued/
ReplyDeleteBy the way.... I re-read this story and several others Betty had written only to realize these figures do not include the legal fees paid to Cantey Hanger and others for "investigative work" which Ben Barlow is currently being paid to do as he conducts witch hunts - I mean "investigations" on FWISD employees. WHO IS AUTHORIZING THIS?
ReplyDeleteThis is a retroactive attempt to approve monies ALREADY SPENT. Who asked for this to be put on the agenda? Linares is playing the same tired game of covering up the bodies.
ReplyDeleteWe have to do something to change the climate and culture of fear, bullying, and retaliation which IS FWISD. Throwing another 1.2 million to attorneys is NOT the answer. Linares (who always was part of the problem under MJ), Dansby, and now Sorum will only continue the problems. Most organizations would look at the level of litigation/legal expense and the true "brain drain" and make changes, FWISD continues to ignore the problem while Board Members and their friends abuse the public trust. We have lost far too many teachers and staff in the past several years because of the corruption and attorneys run wild. it must end. Put that money into our classrooms.
ReplyDeleteFWISD is self insured. The money in the "fund" is FWISD's money - NOT TASB's. TASB is paid a fee to "manage" the "fund". Someone needs to ask how much is in the "fund", when it was established, how much was initially set aside to establish this "fund", how the money is invested. Better question still, has this "fund" been audited? I understand this was the brain child of Hank Johnson. It has been alleged a similar fund raised similar questions of use in the ISD he previously worked for. It would be nice if the Board came clean on this and informed the public.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Mr. Charles Richardson (above). the contract with TASB to administrate the FWISD funds expired August 31, 2013 approximately a month after the FWISD Board violated their own Rule 11 Agreement. Was it renewed? Who renewed it? Was it on any Board Meeting Agenda? Aren't these PUBLIC funds? Was their public discussion, disclosure of vote? If not then this too is an ILLEGAL AGREEMENT.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure who cancelled this contract, or whether it expired because the period of the contract ended. However, TASB is still responsible for the Palazzolo contract. Issues which come up after this date are self-insured. My understanding is that this was done for fiscal reasons--we were paying more in than we were getting out.
ReplyDelete