Grievances, complaints and lawsuits plague Detroit ISD and Superintendent Kathie Thompson || Series Part 3 of 3
File / eExtra News
File: Submitted || Da’on Savage
A full-blown lawsuit was filed against Detroit Independent School District on March 14, 2022, by former high school Head Basketball Coach, Da’on Savage. Factual background documented in the suit states Savages’ claim of working in a hostile environment created by Superintendent Kathie Thompson, other members of the staff, and members of the School Board of Trustees including at the time Board President, Doug Miller.
The document went on to say that in the spring semester of 2021, Savage was told his contract would not be renewed because he was not yet a certified teacher. He was then replaced by a white male who was also not certified as a teacher. Subsequently, Savage resigned on March 5, 2021, in lieu of termination.
Savage has also filed a joint discrimination complaint with the Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division and the Equal Employment Opportunity.
Savage is represented by Attorney Brandon Shelby of Shelby Law. Shelby is requesting a jury trial for his client. eExtra News contacted Shelby for comment and received the reply of “no comment.” According to Pacer – the online Public Access To Court Electronic Records – Savage is requesting the following in damages:
- Back pay, including but not limited to lost wages (salary, bonuses, and commissions) and other employment and fringe benefits;
- Reinstatement, or in the event that reinstatement is not feasible, front pay with respect to all pay and benefits Plaintiff would have received but for termination;
- Actual damages;
- Punitive and/or exemplary damages;
- Liquidated damages in the maximum amount allowed by law;
- Prejudgment and post-judgment interest as allowed by law;
- Mental anguish and other compensatory damages;
- Attorneys’ fees, expert fees and costs of suit;
- Injunctive relief prohibiting Defendant from continuing to engage in discriminatory and retaliatory practices;
- Such other and further legal and/or equitable relief to which Plaintiff may be justly entitled, as this court may deem proper.
District Judge Amos L. Mazzant III of the United States District Court/Eastern District of Texas has been assigned the case. The summons was issued to DISD on May 19, 2022. The district requested a dismissal of the case on June 13, 2022. Judge Mazzant denied the motion. At this point, no date has been set to hear the case.
At the last board of trustees meeting on June 20, 2022, parent Jessica Maynard presented the board with their own checkbook register recounting the number of taxpayer dollars being spent on legal fees. The public can access this information here.
Legal Fees:
$58,776.08 through May 17, 2022
$40,322.50 – 2021
$19,728 – 2020
$22,627.83 – 2019
$11,387.79 – 2018
“As to legal fees, it is sometimes necessary for a school district to seek the advice and assistance of its legal counsel when complaints have been filed, whether the complaints are ultimately found to be meritorious or not. This is true of school districts across the state of Texas, not just in Detroit ISD. When legal fees have been incurred by Detroit ISD on those occasions, they were incurred as a result of the complaints that had been filed, not because of anything that the District had done.” – Jay Youngblood of Powell Law Group/Attorney for DISD
Another lawsuit has been filed against the district. Details of the suit have not yet been posted on the Red River County District Clerk’s website. Once made public, eExtra News will post an update.
If you wish to get in touch with any of the current board members, they include: Shane Henderson (Board President), Beverly Coleman, Ginny Minter, Sam Savage, Casey Davis, Cheri Eldridge, and Justin Bailey.
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