Grievances, complaints and lawsuits plague Detroit ISD and Superintendent Kathie Thompson || Series Part 2 of 3
File / eExtra News
Photo: Submitted || Amanda Tidwell
A Level Three Appeal was submitted against Detroit Independent School District Superintendent Kathie Thompson on Jan. 18, 2022, by Detroit Middle School Principal Amanda Tidwell after her Level One and Two grievances were dismissed.
The grievance cites the following against Thompson:
- From the Texas Educators’ Code of Ethics – The Texas educator shall comply with standard practices and ethical conduct toward students, professional colleagues, school officials, parents and members of the community and shall safeguard academic freedom.
- The Texas education, in exemplifying ethical relations with colleagues, shall extend just and equitable treatment to all members of the profession. – 19 TAC 247.1
- The educator shall adhere to written local school board policies and state and federal laws regarding hiring, evaluation and dismissal of personnel. Standard 2.3
- The educator shall not retaliate against any individual who has filed a complaint with the SBEC or who provides information for a disciplinary investigation or proceeding under this chapter. Standard 2.7
- From the DISD Employee Handbook – Individuals who believe they have been discriminated or retaliated against or harassed are encouraged to promptly report such incidents to the campus principal, supervisor or appropriate district official. If the campus principal, supervisor or district official is the subject of a complaint, the complaint should be made directly to the superintendent. A complaint against the superintendent may be made directly to the board.
The grievance went on to add that Thompson failed to communicate with Tidwell about the removal of an at-will employee from the middle school campus, which left student supervisory duties without coverage and required immediate changes to the campus routine. That employee was Kristin Miller who was reassigned to the high school campus from our previous story in this series.
Tidwell’s grievance was heard at the DISD board meeting on Feb. 23, 2022, in which they took a vote on a motion to take no action on Tidwell’s grievance. The motion was passed and the grievance against Thompson was not granted.
However, by the weekend of April 16, 2022, an agreement was reached between the Board of Trustees and Tidwell. Tidwell submitted a notice of administrative leave and resignation on April 18, 2022, from the district.
“Pursuant to the agreement reached over the weekend, I am advising that I will take administrative leave effective April 19, 2022, and continuing to April 30, 2022. Furthermore, I hereby submit my resignation effective 12 a.m., May 1, 2022.” – Amanda Tidwell
Tidwell had been employed with the district for five years.
The district agreed to pay Tidwell’s normal April 2022 paycheck and a lump sum payment upward of six figures. The agreement went on to say Tidwell releases the district from any other claims, rights, demands, liability, additional compensation, or causes of action of any kind or character. The agreement was to also dismiss, nonsuit, or withdraw including, but not limited to, a docket filed against the district with the Commissioner of Education for the State of Texas.
Jay Youngblood, attorney for DISD stated, “It is important to note that the Resignation Agreement is not an admission of liability of any kind and that the District denies that any wrongful act was committed. Instead, it was simply a compromise of disputed claims. The DISD Board of Trustees has never made a finding of any wrongdoing on the part of Superintendent Kathie Thompson.”
Tidwell was unable to comment due to the restrictions of her agreement with the district.
–