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Former Memphis-Shelby County Faculties Superintendent Marie Feagins is looking for to void the college board’s January vote to oust her.
Feagins claims in a criticism offered by her legal professional Monday that the college board violated the Tennessee Open Conferences Act whereas terminating her contract. She alleges that college board members privately mentioned firing her for months forward of her official ousting in January.
All 9 faculty board members are listed as defendants. Feagins additionally alleges that interim Superintendent Roderick Richmond met with board members in November to debate turning into her alternative.
The board’s public relations company didn’t reply to Chalkbeat’s request for remark. The district’s spokesperson advised Chalkbeat that the interim superintendent cannot touch upon an open case.
A Shelby County Circuit Court docket worker advised Chalkbeat that the lawsuit had not been formally filed as of Tuesday morning. Feagins’ legal professional, William Wooten, didn’t reply to further questions.
Board Member Michelle McKissack, a Feagins advocate, mentioned she isn’t stunned by the lawsuit.
“The evening that Dr. Feagins’ contract was terminated, she mentioned she was dissatisfied that the board selected litigation over management,” McKissack mentioned. “I’m nonetheless dissatisfied on the determination made that night as properly. However now that that is formally a authorized matter, and as a member of the MSCS Board, the one remark I’ve is this isn’t a shock.”
The criticism is the most recent improvement in a yearslong Memphis-Shelby County Faculties management turnover saga.
The district’s board voted 6-3 in January to terminate Feagins’ contract after 10 months on the job, approving a decision that claimed skilled misconduct and insufficient management from Feagins. The board fired her with trigger and prevented paying $487,500 in severance.
That January assembly adopted a specifically known as December assembly targeted on whether or not to fireside Feagins. The board voted to delay a call till January.
Wooten says the college board’s December assembly “didn’t present the required enough public discover.” The Open Conferences Act permits the general public to attend conferences and requires the governing physique to offer adequate discover to the general public of the assembly, however doesn’t outline how lengthy that discover should be.
The criticism alleges that at a number of unofficial outings, together with at eating places and birthday events, board members mentioned firing Feagins.
Feagin claims that in October, board members circulated a draft decision to droop her. She additionally alleges that Interim Superintendent Richmond, a longtime district administrator who served because the district’s transformation officer, started forming a group for his new function after assembly with board members in November.
The criticism additionally mentioned that three days earlier than the preliminary December assembly to oust Feagins, some board members mentioned firing Feagins whereas attending former Superintendent Joris Ray’s celebration.
Feagins alleges her termination stems from an incident with Charles “Dow” McVean, a board member for the Peer Energy Basis, a tutoring and mentorship nonprofit that had a contract with MSCS.
Feagins claims McVean yelled at her for not renewing Peer Energy’s contract with the district. Feagins then requested a restraining order towards him.
After submitting the protecting order, Feagins alleges that Memphis Metropolis Councilman JB Smiley Jr. shouted at her over the cellphone.
McVean and Smiley didn’t reply to Chalkbeat’s request for remark.
Feagins, a former Detroit faculty administrator, was employed by a earlier MSCS board to steer Tennessee’s largest faculty district after a problem-plagued 18-month seek for a successor to Ray, who agreed to resign in 2022 amid an investigation into alleged misdeeds.
The decision to terminate her, first launched Dec. 17 by Board Chair Joyce Dorse Coleman, claimed that Feagins:
- Failed to offer proof of her assertion that district staff have been paid $1 million in time beyond regulation for time not labored.
- Accepted a donation of greater than $45,000 with out board approval, then misrepresented what occurred.
- Misled the board and public a few federal grant and its missed deadline.
Feagins firmly denied any wrongdoing and described herself as a goal of “false accusations and political maneuvering.”
Dorse Coleman, Vice Chair Stephanie Love, Natalie McKinney, Sable Otey, Towanna Murphy and Keith Williams voted to fireside Feagins in January. McKissack, Tamarques Porter, and Amber Huett-Garcia voted no.
After the board voted to oust Feagins, the previous superintendent advised reporters that she would “see [the board] in court docket.”