After launching an investigation into Judson Independent School District’s board president Monica Ryan, the state found no wrongdoing and “considers the matter closed.”
In June, the Texas Education Agency opened two investigations into Judson: one against Ryan, after three other board members and at least one community member alleged she abused her power.
Board trustees Jose Macias Jr., Suzanne Kenoyer and Laura Stanford accused Ryan of pressuring other trustees to vote a certain way, undermining the superintendent and engaging in off-site, private conversations with a quorum present.
In a letter to the district’s Interim Superintendent Ann Dixon and Ryan on Tuesday, TEA officials said they didn’t find that Ryan broke any education laws.
“Based on the available evidence, the investigation did not result in a finding of district-level or board wrongdoing or identify systematic violations of the Texas Education Code or the Texas Government Code,” wrote Richard Segovia, division director of special investigations at TEA.
But a second investigation into Judson remains open.
TEA is looking into the previous Superintendent Robert Milton Fields, following allegations that he hired school staff that were on the state’s Do Not Hire registry. Fields was fired from Judson earlier this year after a bitter months-long saga that included public infighting from the board, an internal investigation that Ryan pushed for and several hours-long board meetings.
Now cleared by the state, Ryan took to social media and called on trustees Macias, Kenoyer and Stanford to immediately resign for “making false accusations and wasting taxpayer and student money.”
Macias called Ryan’s call on him to resign “laughable.”
“I have an obligation to my community to take all measures to seek accountability when I feel there’s misconduct, and I still believe that there’s misconduct,” he said.
Tensions continue
Macias and Ryan often butt heads, publicly sparring during board meetings and on social media.
Firing Fields is only one of several issues that have divided Judson’s school board, which has essentially split into two factions between the board’s more senior trustees and more recently elected members.
Their most recent dispute was about board procedure and how board meeting agendas are prepared for public meetings.
During a Monday meeting, Ryan proposed giving the board president more power in setting agendas, giving herself more latitude to accept or deny requests from other board members. The change would’ve also struck language that required board member requests for discussions be either immediately included for the next meeting or scheduled for an “appropriate time in the near future.”
“It’s worked for decades,” Macias said about the original policy, which gives trustees more room to suggest agenda items in consultation with the superintendent and board president. “And now you’re attempting to change it to silence what you think shouldn’t be on the agenda.”
The policy did not change after the board voted 3-3, but Ryan said she might revisit her suggestions later.
Other board disagreements have included budget decisions, hiring decisions and more governance disputes.
Macias has also been censured four times in the past six month by Judson’s board. First, for allegedly pressuring fellow board members to vote a certain way and for sharing confidential board information on social media. More recently, he was sanctioned for sharing comments with reporters following a stabbing incident at a Judson middle school that could have violated federal privacy laws.
In response to the first sanction, Macias filed a lawsuit to drop the sanctions and asked for $1 million in restitution. The suit was moved to federal court and is currently awaiting a hearing date.
Meanwhile, the district is under the leadership of a temporary superintendent — Judson’s fourth after Fields was first placed on leave in January — and has not launched a search for a more permanent replacement.
Like other districts, Judson is facing declining student enrollment and academic turnaround efforts after one school got a fourth failing rating from the state in a row.
Judson’s different issues have already inspired at least one person to file to run against Ryan, whose term ends in May of 2027.
She holds one of the board’s two at-large positions, meaning anyone who lives in the district can file to run for her seat and all registered voters in Judson’s boundaries will have a say in who represents them next.
Ryan declined to say whether she is running for reelection or not.
