A special meeting slated for last Wednesday (May 8) where Dallas District 3 trustee Lois Parrott was to face a committee of three fellow board members was cancelled.

Parrott was scheduled to respond to a complaint filed March 5 by trustee Roxan Staff for alleged Code of Conduct violations. The complaint in letter form, was also signed by trustee Ron Price, and spawned an ad hoc committee of three trustees. However, Price did not attend and hoped the issue would be dropped.

Board President Ken Zornes told The White Rocker, he received a letter of complaint against Parrott on March 5, from trustees Staff and Price. Zornes met with all three trustees individually in an effort to get the issue resolved.

"As board president I am charged with that responsibility under board policy BA (Local), which was approved by a 9-0 vote on Feb. 28, 2002," Zornes said. "I was unable to get the issue resolved, therefore, according to policy, I appointed an ad hoc committee to attempt a resolution."

Members of that committee were trustees Kathleen Leos, Dr. Lew Blackbure, and George Williams. Zornes explained the committee was appointed and the meeting posted "in response to the letter of complaint and nothing else." However, the board never discussed or considered any legal action against Parrott in relation to the letter of complaint.

According to Zornes, this would be the first time the board exercises a new policy that allows the creation of a committee of trustees to hear a complaint against a board member. The rule requires the support of two trustees.

The complaint originated from the redistricting lawsuit heard before State District Court Judge Catharina Haynes, who had seized tapes of the school board’s closed sessions held in November 2002.

Parrott played a key role in depositions that followed in the suit filed by four Hispanic residents against the district because of their redistricting process. Attorney Dan Perez of the Dallas law firm Bickel and Brewer represented the four plaintiffs, Trinidad "Trini" Garza, Pedro "Pete" Vaca, Maria Adames and William Acosta, against the school district.

According to Staff, "Parrot has a history of not dealing in truth (incidents I can document), but she has moved to a new level with her:

1. complaint to District Attorney Bill Hill
2. Affidavit related to the Garza, Vaca, Adames, and Acosta litigation
3. Deposition in the same matter."

Judge Haynes ruled that the Dallas Public Schools board violated the Texas Open Meetings Act. The violation resulted in a ruling that nullified the school board’s Oct. 1 5-4 approval of the Plan 1-5B redistricting map.

During the redistricting process, Parrott advised board trustees that conducting the meetings in closed sessions was not permitted in the redistricting process. Parrott did not enter into the closed meetings.

Judge Haynes found that some trustees had illegally discussed the redistricting process in secret on at least 11 different occasions during the five-month long (May-Oct. 1) redistricting process. She also said the board did not properly alert the public to their Oct. 1 meeting by not providing 72-hour notice.

Before the meeting was cancelled last Tuesday (May 7) Parrott explained that she stands by her testimony and the committee was formed to resurrect something on which the judge has already ruled. Staff chairs the ad hoc committee.

On Friday May 3, Zornes announced that the district has received favorable word from the Department of Justice in Washington, giving the district approval of its redistricting map as approved March 20 and clearing the way for the board to hold elections for all nine trustees this July.

The Department of Justice has "pre-cleared the map" for the Dallas Public Schools and also cleared the way for the district to go ahead with the scheduled July 27, 2002 board trustee elections, according to Zornes.

After being caught up in the redistricting process for a year-and-a-half this is good for the district, Zornes said, we will be able to finally bring closure to the redistricting process.

The filing period for all trustee races opened on Monday, May 13, as required by the redistricting process. Zornes explained that those who are interested in running for a board seat may obtain a filing packet from the Office of Board Services at the Administration Building located at 3700 Ross Avenue. The filing deadline will be 5 p.m. on June 12, 2002. The election will be held on July 27, 2002, with early voting beginning on July 10 and ending on July 23.

In order to qualify for a board seat, a citizen must reside in the trustee district for which they file. All of the Dallas board trustees are elected from single-member districts to serve rotating, three-year terms of office. The DISD board members are charged with hiring the superintendent, approving the annual budget, adopting policy and evaluating district performance.

The board trustee in District 1 represents Northwest Dallas; District 2 represents North and Near East Dallas; District 3 represents Northeast Dallas; District 4 represents Southeast Dallas and Seagoville; District 5 represents East Oak Cliff and West Dallas; District 6 represents Southwest Dallas; District 7 trustee represents Central Oak Cliff and West Dallas; District 8 represents West and Near North Dallas; and board trustee in District 8 represents West and Near North Dallas.