The 434th District Court has dismissed the remaining claim from former Fort Bend ISD Superintendent Christie Whitbeck from her original lawsuit she filed against the district in December 2024.
The claim alleged the district breached the Voluntary Retirement Agreement, or VRA,that Whitbeck signed prior to her departure in December 2023.
“We are grateful for the district court’s decision,” board President Kristin Tassin said in a May 28 news release. “It is unfortunate that Dr. Whitbeck chose to pursue a meritless lawsuit that subjected taxpayers to needless and costly litigation.”
However, Whitbeck’s attorney, Christopher Tritico, said he believes the district’s claim—which states the lawsuit should be handled through the employee grievance process rather than in a Fort Bend County courtroom—directly contradicts the terms of the VRA, which explicitly requires that disputes related to the agreement be resolved in court.
“This is another way to drag out the case, increase attorney fees and avoid the public learning of the bad behaviors of several board members,” Tritico said in an email. “We have filed for a reconsideration by the district court judge and look forward to that hearing.”
The timeline
During a December 2023 board meeting, Whitbeck claimed she was “blindsided” after being asked to retire following the district’s voter-approval tax rate election a month prior. The request would come two years before her end contract date of December 2026 and shortly after receiving a 2% raise in July 2023.
As part of the VRA, the board published a joint statement in December 2023 announcing Whitbeck’s retirement, paid her full salary and benefits through her retirement, and awarded Whitbeck a severance of $352,024, Community Impact previously reported.
Whitbeck filed a lawsuit on Dec. 3, 2024 claiming several board members made defamatory claims and violated the terms of her VRA. According to the court documents, other key lawsuit timeline items include:
- Dec. 5: FBISD legal counsel said in a release they would ask for the dismissal of the lawsuit and reimbursement of legal fees from Whitbeck
- Dec. 9: FBISD files a motion under §101.106(e), which states if a governmental entity and employee are named in a lawsuit, the employees have to be dismissed from the lawsuit
- Jan. 3: Whitback dropped defamation claims
- April 14: Defendant hearing in front of judicial officers, where Tritico said district officials argued Whitbeck should have gone through the employee grievance process
- April 22: Whitbeck files notice of non-suit
- May 19: Case formally dismissed by district court
By the numbers
Whitbeck paid the majority of court fees, totaling $402, including the initial filing and jury demand fees, according to the court documents.
Meanwhile, FBISD’s motions were filed under “no fee,” which is permitted for government entities under Section 72.034 of the Texas Government Code, only paying $12.70 for the district’s initial appearance, according to court documents.
Community Impact reached out to FBISD officials to confirm the cost of defending the suit, but they could not be reached by press time.
What’s next
In an order signed May 19, the court dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning Whitbeck is barred from refiling the claims, according to court documents.
However, Tritico filed a motion for reconsideration May 28, and a hearing date for the motion has yet to be announced, according to court filings.
