The Round Rock ISD board of trustees approved a recommendation from Texas Education Agency monitor David Faltys to put Superintendent Hafedh Azaiez on administrative leave.
Azaiez will remain on leave pending the outcome of an investigation of underlying conduct described in a protective order the Travis County District Court issued in July.
Accompanying the recommendation during a Jan. 6 RRISD special meeting were motions to engage an independent investigator and appoint an acting superintendent, as well as begin the search for an interim superintendent, pending the results of the investigation.
All motions except that to appoint an acting superintendent passed 6-1, with Place 1 Trustee Jun Xiao dissenting.
The board passed the last motion unanimously, and appointed Chief of Schools and Innovation Daniel Presley as acting superintendent.
"I've been closely monitoring the situation since I was made aware of it on July 14, 2021," Board President Amber Feller said during the Jan. 6 meeting. "I studied court documents, read people's opinions on social media and attended up to at least five separate board meetings with attorneys and heard both solicited and unsolicited advice from so many sources I lost count. Throughout the last six months I have gathered a list of over 25 troubling items surrounding this case, contributing to my significant doubt. Despite all of this, I remained publicly silent, because this is a personal and personnel issue for an employee."
Feller said that since the school board was made aware of the memo from Faltys on Dec. 15, she has several times requested the TEA grant trustees access to information that informed the recommendation.
Her requests have been repeatedly denied, and she was told the board must rely on the recommendation alone, she said.
Representation for Azaiez, attorney Mary Goodrich Nix, said following the meeting his client anticipates returning to the district.
"As is his duty, Dr. Azaiez will honor and follow the directive of the Board of Trustees of the Round Rock ISD," Goodrich Nix said in a statement. "He very much looks forward to his return from administrative leave to continue his service as superintendent to the Round Rock ISD community."
The TEA confirmed on Jan. 5 that the agency is conducting an ongoing investigation into Azaiez. Details of that investigation are not yet available.
The board originally voted 5-2 on June 14 to hire Azaiez as superintendent for a three-year contract with a $350,000 annual salary.
Details on next steps for the district are forthcoming.
