HOUSTON — A former Houston Independent School District (HISD) teacher claims the district illegally terminated her after she was falsely accused of causing injury to one of her students.
Markethia Mull filed a compliant July 28 in the Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas against the HISD, Sonia Quintanilla, Margarita Gardea and Shavonne Shelton alleging violation of the U.S. Constitution and the State of Texas Constitution.
Mull began working as a kindergarten through first grade teacher in August 2013 at B.C. Elmore Elementary in Harris County where at the time, Gardea served as principal. She alleges that on Nov. 21, 2016, she was "falsely accused" of causing injury to Shelton's child, AH, who allegedly had hit her head on the ground and suffered a bruised lip during Mull's class.
Mull claims that AH arrived to her classroom with her lip already busted and that she had only used "reasonable force" to keep AH from hitting her and other students.
Mull also claims there is no evidence to support the allegations against her despite the Harris County District Attorney's Office filing charges on March 10, 2017 and after being interviewed by Quintanilla, the HISD police officer. She filed an appeal on Jan 27, 2017. She alleges the HISD illegally terminated her for "use of force" on April 17, 2017.
Mull seeks monetary relief, interest and all other just relief. She is represented by Laurence Watts of Watts & Company Lawyers LTD in Missouri City.
Houston Division of the Southern District of Texas case number 4:20-CV-02638