The details
The meeting is coming about four months after HISD trustees voted to propose the termination of Fagen’s contract. Fagen appealed the board’s decision to the Texas Education Agency, which resulted in a three-day hearing spanning more than 30 hours over Oct. 31, Nov. 1 and Nov. 6.
Trustees are expected to consider the recommendation of Karen Egbuna, the independent hearing officer appointed to oversee Fagen’s appeal, during the Nov. 26 meeting, according to the meeting agenda. Trustees are scheduled to meet at 6 p.m. at the district’s Board, Business & Technology Center, located at 20200 Eastway Village Drive, Humble.
Some context
Throughout the hearing, lawyers representing the district argued Fagen’s relationship with her husband and former HISD Athletic Director Troy Kite negatively affected the district’s ability to fairly respond to a Title IX complaint filed against Kite in 2023.
In April, trustees voted to release a report detailing the findings of the Title IX investigation launched against Kite.
Fagen married Kite 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.
Earlier this year, trustees voted 4-2 in favor of placing Fagen on paid administrative leave in May before voting 4-3 to propose the termination of her contract with the district in July. Board members cited “a failure to maintain a relationship with the board” as the reason for Fagen’s proposed termination.
What’s next
While the details of Egbuna’s recommendation have not yet been made public, trustees will consider authorizing the public release of her findings at the meeting.
Should trustees vote to finalize the termination of Fagen’s contract, district officials said the board would then decide how to move forward with finding her replacement. Deputy Superintendent Roger Brown has been serving as acting superintendent since Fagen was placed on paid administrative leave in May.
