A missing finger, a fascist school board and an abuse of power are among the allegations in five new lawsuits filed in Southeast Texas.
City of Houston v. Phillip Yates and Claudia Avalos, commissioners of the Houston Civil Service Commission
Harris County District Court, Jan. 6
Houston is going to court to stop an investigation undertaken by its own Civil Service Commission, arguing the CSC lacks the authority to issue four recent subpoenas related to allegations police and city officials failed to follow up on a sex-trafficking complaint.
The CSC is tasked with reviewing decisions by City employees, including firefighters and police. Yates and Avalos voted to issue the subpoenas on Dec. 10 to the police, health and public works departments and the office of Mayor John Whitmire.
At issue is the power of the CSC, which Houston says is limited to employment matters.
"Chapter 14 does not grant the Commission original jurisdiction over disciplinary matters involving employees for workplace misconduct," the complaint says. "To the contrary, Chapter 14 reserves the right to issue discipline to the discretion of an employee's department director."
A taxpayer had reported City officials hadn't adequately responded to a complaint of suspected sex-trafficking activity at a private commercial property in Houston. In November, Brenna Lermon, acting as a sitting comissioner at a CSC meeting, provided documents to Yates related to the allegation.
Two weeks later, Yates and Avalos voted to issue the CSC's subpoenas.
"(I)nterpreting the Code of Ordinances to entitle the Commission to investigate allegations of employee misconduct intertwined with allegations of criminal conduct... would pose a significant risk for the obstruction of justice to the extent the Committee - a civilian body - could interfere with ongoing investigations by other, more qualified departments or divisions," the suit says.
Stephanie Hamm and Morgan Beam of Thompson & Horton represent Houston.
Yvonne Ayala, et al., v. La Joya Independent School District, et al.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Jan. 6
Fourteen plaintiffs say their First Amendment rights have been violated by the La Joya Independent School District and its employees and are suing for mental anguish, emotional distress, physical ailments and financial loss.
One plaintiff is Ricardo Villarreal, the mayor of Plainview and once a member of the LJISD school board. Another is Jose Luis Perez, a former Palmview commissioner who says he was forced to resign at the end of the 2023-2024 school year. Ayala is a former high school principal.
Citing a "contentious" political climate in Hidalgo County, the 48-page complaint notes an FBI investigation that had Ayala, while working in human relations, to collect and hand over documents.
Last year, the Texas Education Agency took over control of LJISD after it found a contract the school board approved for $38 million in LED lights was part of a criminal conspiracy. Several trustees and administrators pleaded guilty to charges like theft and bribery, the Texas Tribune reported.
The plaintiffs were LJISD employees who did not support the now-removed board members, the suit says, leading to retaliation like demotions and pay cuts.
Branaun Galentine v. City of College Station and Chief Billy Couch
Brazos County District Court, Aug. 16, 2024
Galentine's case was removed to U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas on Jan. 6 by the defendants, who allegedly harassed Galentine by arresting him more than 20 times.
His complaint says he received a scholarship from Texas A&M University after earning valedictorian honors in 2016. But his time in College Station derailed his life, he says, with problems with law enforcement starting with accusations he pointed a firearm at two students.
His long list of arrests produced exactly one conviction - for a traffic violation - he says, and his complaints to Couch about the harassment were ignored.
One arrest was for assaulting an officer, but Galentine says bodycam footage shows it was the cop who was the aggressor. His history of arrests remains on the internet, which has hurt his ability to gain employment, he says.
"Mr. Galentine continues to suffer from the actions of the Brazos County area officers although he has graduated from Texas A&M with honors, and is no longer in the country," the suit says.
Cory Leber v. Snowmass, Inc., et al.
Harris County District Court, Jan. 8
Leber's complaint says he suffered catastrophic and gruesome injuries while using a log-splitter at work. His injury can be viewed in his complaint, though readers should be aware the photo is, in fact, gruesome.
He was working at "Main Camp," owned by Snowmass. His work involved harvesting an area used for hunting after trophy season.
The log-splitter took one of his fingers, he says, and he is seeking more than $2 million.
Rico McCoy v. Harris County, et al.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Jan. 11
McCoy is suing Harris County's sheriff's department, two deputies and Lonestar Auto Service. He says a deputy seemed to be following him, which caused him to record his drive and ultimately call his wife when he was pulled over.
Threats from deputies during the stop escalated to at least seven punches to his face and head, the suit says. It points at cell phone and dashcam videos as evidence.
McCoy says he sustained broken teeth, a detached retina and a concussion.
"Approximately six or more deputies, in addition to the sergeant, arrived at the scene," the suit says.
"This significant law enforcement respone was all in connection with an alleged failure to properly execute a right turn."
McCoy was found not guilty of resisting arrest. One of those he says assaulted him was a tow truck driver called to the scene.