As we know the Palazzolo case involves the original suit from the firing and then to add the Dansby debacle and finally the TOMA suit due to the board not approving in open session the appeal for the original suit. So that means that lawyers have to be hired to provide the district with guidance but in all... the costs keep rising.
Some will say well it can't be 5 million but as long as it runs it will end up being more than what the original jury deliberation was and the district has dug in at taxpayer expense. Remember when they asked for 4.5 million for the budget, well because of all the suits.
What is also ironic is that the district continues to withhold information related to who and how much they are paying for cases not only Palazzolo. Requests have been made using FOIA and the district has yet to release the information even when the attorney general has indicated what they can withhold and the rest they need to release. Also we thought that TASB lawyers were handling the cases and the recent letter by a firm from San Antonio raises questions about when they decided to get more attorneys if TASB was their chosen firm and the apparent contract that has expired and now are running on fumes.
We also included a summary of judgement to get the show on the road with all of these lawsuits. You can read all documents below.
So President Ramos while you attend your self-invited coronation, do put that on your list of things to take care of and end once and for all. You can't celebrate when things continue to be as they are..if you truly are serious about working and making changes, then show it. Talk is cheap.. we've got plenty of that going around.
I would also like to know what Valerie Carrillo does and why she is there? Aren't there two staff attorneys? Why aren't they answering Open Records requests? How does it make sense to spend 2-3X the Jury verdict in legal fees?
ReplyDeleteCan anyone say fiscal mismanagement?
What a waste of money all around and then you are creating a top heavy administration. School Board broke Open records act! Truth comes out! Ann thank you for all you do but readers need to call their board members to end this. Attorneys getting rich at taxpayers expense! who misses out on this money? Children do!
ReplyDeleteJoin the hearing for Summary of Judgement on August 6 at 10AM at 325 District Court Downtown... bring the popcorn!
ReplyDeleteOPEN TO THE PUBLIC
ReplyDeleteEvery citizen concerned about Transparency and Open Government should be there. Every taxpayer concerned about waste. Every parent wondering why FWISD is failing. Maybe the new Superintendent candidates can come.
ReplyDeleteWhy is FWISD using a San Antonio law firm to process Open Records Requests? This is something that should be processed locally by staff attorneys of which there are two. Well Dr. Sutherland, hasn't FWISD wasted enough time and spent enough money destroying this man's life and career? It appears quite obvious FWISD continues to promote and hire far less qualified individuals for far more $$. Then there is the issue of various current Board Members and employees (who remain employed) after
ReplyDeleteallegedly engaging in a wide range of illegal activities. Time to end this.
Its raining $$$$ in FWISD.
ReplyDeleteWell Wondering, Yes we can! Si se puede! Look at all those GED only employees making more money than teachers with 10 years experience and a PHD! Although, I believe fiscal mismanagement is a GROSS UNDERSTATEMENT!!! I'm Beginning to really see how much waste there is? Raising the starting salary to attract new teachers but we're going to crap all over the ones we have?? Because that makes so much sense?? I'm Not sure why this is so difficult to figure out either. Hmm, the going rate in surrounding districts is easy enough to see so WHY NOT TRY to get as close to that as possible??? NO HERES A BETTER IDEA: Let's have one of those TABSE studies done and see where we stand. Oh yeah that's not going to happen.
ReplyDeleteDid you notice how similar the appeals to the A.G. of both Open Records Requests of LaBeau and Duran were? Just think... your tax dollars are paying for that! The Open Meetings Act hearing will finally, publicly expose the fiscal mismanagement and back room dealings of this Board, like changing the Bond, the Avilla contract, the promotions, TASB "study" for millions, and now another "reorganization". Yes Ashley, it is the Board who is responsible for this. Well Mr. Ramos, here is your first challenge as President. Well I guess second since your first act is to have a fund raiser for yourself. What a joke. Hope the IRS tracks where that $$$ goes.
ReplyDeleteJust remember it is none other than the self proclaimed "Tax Payer Watchdog" - that indicted concrete beneficiary - who has been the driving force behind this farce for five years.
ReplyDeleteSomeone needs to review the job descriptions of the two FWISD staff attorneys. What are we paying them for? Why are they there? It seems to me THEY should be insuring the Board is complying with law, rule, and regulation ie: Board Policy. This would include ensuring the proper conduct of meetings, preventing any attempt to exclude an elected public official from a meeting; or interfering with a public official in the performance of their job, or retaliating against an elected public official for telling the truth. They also should be responding to Open Records Requests and ensuring ALL manner of compliance with the Open Meetings Act. FWISD has been lacking in proper, ethical, legal guidance for some time and in the past two years it has gone from bad to worse. FWISD's appeal seeks a new trial. Can you imagine that? Think of the expense. Maybe that is what is needed. After the trial, we learned that FWISD and their attorneys lied about the Dept. of Education investigation; the fact that MJ KNEW Palazzolo was DOE's
ReplyDeleteprimary witness when the Board fired him. If the Board did not know that, it is the fault of the Staff Attorneys. WHO is making these decisions?
Well Mr. Ramos, whether you realize it or not, this is now on you to resolve. That snake Robbins wasted millions, made a mess of the Bond and left you with a legal mess right before the hearings and possible investigations. Stop worrying about partying - you've been set up just like Dansby. Do the right thing. End all of this crap and lead FWISD out of the mud.
ReplyDeletePoor Sutherland. She hasn't a clue how you CIA bloggers manipulate her. You say jump and she jumps as high as she can! I have heard directly from a couple of the bloggers. You make fun of her while claiming to hold her in high regard. You sent messages back and forth talking about board members to me. I am tired of watching Sharon Herrera do nothing. She needs to be investigated Dr Sutherland! ATPE, her nasty lies towards Tobi, & her dragging Tobi's daughter into the blog is sickening. Want to catch a person cheating the tax payers? Look into her position. Ask what Sharon does for the district. D Day comes for all. Including those of you that have upset me with your Palazzolo crusade. Next round. I will tell you more about Sharon and begin on Aracely.
ReplyDeleteI guess your name says it all. Thank GOD that idiot could not gather the votes to be made Board President. She made a promise to change. We are all waiting to see that.
ReplyDeleteWonder where her kids will go to school next year? The only person mocking Ann is you as you hide in the shadows of anonymity. From your rhetoric I don't understand why you would hide your identity as you are obviously bought and paid for. That is, unless you ARE Tobi.
Okay Tobi for Pres, try and deflect! You cannot outthink Ann on your best day! I'm pretty sure she looks into ANY accusation before acting! If you knew her even slightly, you would know she's not gullible. SMH on the other hand you might be guilty of that yourself! 😆😆😆 Seriously, you believe that LIES are being told about Tobi?!?!? Yes Tobi lies! Maybe that's what you meant. I would agree though whoever it was that mentioned her daughter was completely out of line but that's about the only thing accurate to your post!
ReplyDeleteI really don't understand why "Tobi for Pres" (who sounds a lot like EducateThis or PHS Parent) tried to divert the conversation to trashing Ann AGAIN. I'm not even going to reciprocate by trashing Tobi or you. We have problems in FWISD. BIG problems. They obviously started LONG ago but were not resolved because two sitting Board Members cut deals with the Feds to get out of going to prison. They are just as crooked today, just as corrupt, just as vindictive. The problem is that they have caused things to get much, much worse and it is the children of this ISD who are suffering. Why not agree to disagree and just end all of the crap? Let's move on. Stop all the insider trader, the retaliation, clean house and start over. Hell, I would just settle for ending the Palazzolo crap. I don't know how Needham and crew can continue to blow millions in legal fees on that while she knowing let an AHHS Teacher carry on OPEN affair with a student and promoted a Principal who fathered a child with a student. He is still employed! So do we want to keep slugging this out as FWISD goes further down the tubes? Or do we agree to disagree and move on?
ReplyDeleteOne thing for sure: according to the schedule on Ann's blog, any new candidate for Super will be interviewing in the middle of the latest round of mud-slinging with Joe P. They should be required to go to the hearing on the Open Meetings Act or the appeal just to see our BOE in action.
ReplyDeleteJust think: Palazzolo was resolved the first time in 2010 when Joe was transferred to Western Hills. No money damages; no legal fees. Then MJ and the Board decided to fire him. A second resolution was reached in 2011 when the Commissioner of Education ordered his reinstatement after Reyna paid the TEA Hearing Examiner 3x the legal limit. No damages - just his job, legal fees and back pay. Not content with peace, The Board challenged the Commissioner's decision in District Court. They lost. No damages just legal fees. Still not content, the Board fired Joe a second time in 2012 and denied him a second hearing. He filed a civil suit in District Court. In 2013 the Board signed settlement for his job and $300,000 in damages/legal fees. The Board again broke that agreement and opted to go to trial. This time they lost before a Jury in 2014 for 2.8 million in damages and legal fees. Still hell bent on proving something to someone, they filed an illegal appeal wanting a new trial. Palazzolo offered to settle for damages, legal fees, or his job and legal fees. The Board ignored his offer. It is now 5 years and 5 million in their own legal fees later and still no resolution. No affairs with students; no fathering of a child with a student. Fiscal responsibility? Go figure.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, Monge runs wild in HCM promoting yet another GED all star who is making more than Teachers in the classroom. OK Tobi, Where's that change you promised UEA? We will be watching Tuesday. Put your money where your mouth is and end this joke. Do something about Monge.
ReplyDeleteWell, if you think $5 million was bad, in their appeal, FWISD is asking for a NEW TRIAL. Since the first one, DOE released copies of notices they sent to MJ and the Board proving the FWISD Board KNEW Palazzolo had turned them in and was the DOE's primary witness when they fired him. This gets crazier by the minute.
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