The Beaumont Independent School District is being sued after allegedly paying a former teacher to keep complaints confidential.
Melinda Harper filed a lawsuit April 2 in the Jefferson County Court against Beaumont Independent School District, seeking a declaratory judgment and injunctions.
The complaint states BISD allowed a teacher, Keath Magee, to voluntarily resign before the end of his teaching contract while still receiving compensation through the end of the contract term.
The court document alleges Magee had complaints about the school district and agreed to keep the complaints confidential in return for the compensation.
Harper states the defendant violated statutes by failing to hold a public hearing regarding the agreement and alleges the agreement with Magee was made without Board of Trustee authorization.
The plaintiff is seeking to enjoin any further payments to Magee, a declaratory judgment, costs and fees.
Harper is being represented in the case by Beaumont attorneys Michael D. Getz and David Vann De Cordova Jr.
Jefferson County Court Case No. D195-558
This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed in the Jefferson County Court. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it only represents one side of the story.