Discovery is underway in litigation brought by Beaumont attorney David Vann De Cordova Jr., who continues to submit Texas Public Information Act requests to the Beaumont Independent School District, hoping to unearth the inner workings of district.
As previously reported, De Cordova filed a petition for writ of mandamus and for injunctive relief against BISD on May 14 in Jefferson County District Court, convinced the district is holding out on him, or at the very least purposefully delaying its responses.
Court records show that on Nov. 13, BISD submitted a certificate of discovery saying it has responded to the attorney’s request for production of documents.
To date, De Cordova has sent several dozen TPIA requests to the district, seeking a wide spectrum of information.
Despite having a reasonable time to comply, De Cordova alleges BISD refused to produce the information sought in full and failed to seek a Texas Attorney General’s opinion, as required by law, after withholding the information, the suit states.
Representing himself, De Cordova is asking the court to issue a writ commanding BISD to comply with his TPIA requests.
He is also seeking a permanent injunction prohibiting BISD from treating future TPIA requests differently based on the identity of the requester.
Melody Chappell, attorney for the Wells, Peyton, Greenberg & Hunt law firm in Beaumont, represents the district.
Judge Gary Sanderson, 60th District Court, is assigned to the case.
Case No. B192-446
Discovery begins in suit against BISD over public information requests
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