Former Dallas ISD administrator Goree Johnson (left) with sons, Roderick Johnson and Royce Johnson. Goree Johnson lost his termination appeal on Thursday. (Tawnell D. Hobbs/Dallas Morning News)
Three former Dallas ISD employees who were fired in a sports recruiting scandal had their appeals denied by a school board panel Thursday.
Superintendent Mike Miles fired 15 athletics employees in June after an investigation found student residency documents were falsified to enable athletes to play on high school teams.
The district changed course last month for seven of the employees, allowing them to resign and expunging records related to the investigation from their personnel files under settlement agreements. Appeals for two other employees were denied last month.
Thursday’s denials were for former assistant athletic director Goree Johnson and Anita Connally, the former University Interscholastic League compliance officer. Ronald Johnson, a former athletic coordinator and teacher at Madison High School, also had his appeal denied. He is no relation to Goree Johnson.
Goree Johnson spoke in a voice full of emotion during the hearing, which his attorneys requested be open to the public. The former 28-year employee said he was not over any of the coaches accused in the recruiting scandal and should not be fired over their actions.
“I don’t condone that,” Goree Johnson said. “I am not that kind of guy that is going to go around here and cheat. I’ve got credibility in this city. I’ve never been insubordinate to none of my superiors. All of my evaluations are exceed expectations.”
But Carlos Lopez, the attorney representing DISD, said that Goree Johnson should have known about the recruiting scandal in his position. He said that it was common knowledge that the district was having recruiting problems.
“The administration is not going to pretend anymore that those things aren’t happening,” Lopez said. “The status quo is not going to work anymore.”
Connally broke down in tears during her hearing, which her attorney also requested be open to the public. Daniel Ortiz, her attorney, said she provided information on the recruiting problems and did nothing wrong.
“I’ve been in education 30 years. I’ve never even been written up,” Connally said. “I’ve never even been on a growth plan.”
Lopez, the attorney for DISD, said that Connally did not act quick enough.
“Certainly she wasn’t part of the problem. No one is suggesting that. Her job is compliance,” Lopez said. “The question is did she do that properly. Did she do that with the fervor that the administration thinks you need for that [position]? No.”
The three-person panel of DISD trustees voted 2-1 in all three cases. Board President Miguel Solis and Nancy Bingham upheld the decisions to terminate, while trustee Joyce Foreman voted no.
Ortiz said he is looking at the next step for his client, to possible include filing a lawsuit. Goree Johnson also plans to explore his options.
DISD launched the investigation into recruiting after the March beating death of Wilmer-Hutchins High School student Troy Causey, who lived in a southeast Dallas home with top Madison player Johnathan Turner. Neither athlete was living with his family in the home. Turner has been indicted on a manslaughter charge in Causey’s death.