What's happening?
During the board’s May 14 meeting, trustees voted to place Fagen on paid leave and appointed Deputy Superintendent Roger Brown to serve as acting superintendent in the interim.
According to the agenda for the board’s July 23 meeting, trustees will “consider and take possible action regarding the employment of Superintendent [Fagen], including proposed termination.”
To date, trustees and district officials have not provided any official details concerning the reason for Fagen’s temporary removal or potential termination.
Some context
The decision to place Fagen on administrative leave in May came about a month after trustees voted to release a report detailing the findings of a Title IX investigation launched against Fagen’s husband, former HISD Athletic Director Troy Kite.
Kite married Fagen in 2023 after disclosing their relationship to the board in March 2022, district officials said. Fagen said she recused herself from the Title IX investigation in May 2023.
During the May 14 meeting, trustees voted 4-2 in favor of placing Fagen on paid administrative leave after spending nearly two hours in executive session.
While board members have not publicly linked Fagen’s potential termination to the Title IX case, their vote to place her on paid leave came after months of community members voicing their frustration over the rising cost of legal fees incurred related to the investigation.
According to budget documents included in the board’s June 21 meeting agenda, the district has spent at least $1.15 million on legal fees related to the case.
Also of note
Trustees are also set to revisit Kite’s Title IX investigation during the board’s July 23 meeting.
According to a report released in April detailing the findings of the investigation, the initial complaint against Kite was filed by an athletic department employee in May 2023 and alleged the common use of sexually explicit comments within the department.
Following the investigation, Giana Ortiz—a lawyer with The Ortiz Law Firm who wrote the report—recommended the district terminate Kite’s employment.
Kite told Community Impact in April he had filed his own Title IX complaint against the district in response to the investigation, noting he believed the investigation process was unfair. Kite also questioned why outside legal counsel was brought in to assist with the investigation.
According to the board’s July 23 agenda, trustees will consider taking action “regarding [the] investigation and decision-making regarding Title [IX] complaints filed by [the] assistant athletic director.”
Trustees will also consider taking action on the Title IX complaint filed by Kite against the district.
What’s next
Trustees are set to meet at 5:30 p.m. July 23 at the district's main administrative office for their next board meeting. However, trustees will begin the meeting by going into executive session and aren't expected to take any public action until at least 7 p.m. District officials have not yet outlined a plan for selecting a new superintendent should trustees vote to terminate Fagen's contract.
