Suspended Superintendent Jorge Arredondo accuses the Grand Prairie ISD Board of Trustees of wrongfully placing him on leave and making defamatory statements.
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GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas — A judge blocked Grand Prairie ISD’s Board of Trustees from terminating its contract with embattled Superintendent Jorge Arredondo Monday.
Grand Prairie ISD Superintendent Arredondo was placed on leave in September after just three months on the job and the board announced an investigation into his conduct. The move left many residents with questions about why he was placed on leave.
A month later, the board voted to “separate” from Arredondo, citing violations of a district policy that prohibits discrimination and harassment. Now, Arredondo is responding to the allegations publicly for the first time in a petition filed Monday.
In the filing, Arredondo’s lawyers asked a Dallas County Judge to grant a restraining order, temporary injunction and motion for expedited discovery against Grand Prairie ISD.
The petition claims that Arredondo was wrongfully placed on administrative leave and accused the board of breach of contract, violating due process and defamation.
He described the district's investigation into his conduct as a “witch hunt” and claimed the district does not have good cause to terminate his contract. Grand Prairie ISD and members of the Board of Trustees are named in the filing.
"I am deeply committed to the students, staff, and community of Grand Prairie ISD,” Arredondo said in a press release. “It is essential that we uphold the principles of fairness and due process to maintain the integrity of our educational system and return our collective focus to providing exceptional educational opportunities for every student."
WFAA reached out to Grand Prairie ISD for comment and received the following statement after publication:
"The district is aware of reports regarding a lawsuit that may have been filed. At this time, the district has not been served any legal documents related to the matter. As a public entity, we respect the legal process and will review any formal filings once they are received. As always, the district is committed to acting in the best interests of our students, staff, and community, and we will respond to any legal matters appropriately through the court system. Given that this involves potential litigation, we are unable to comment further at this time."
According to a press release from his legal counsel, the board was scheduled to vote on Arredondo’s termination Thursday.
Judge Martin Hoffman granted the temporary restraining order, preventing the board of trustees from voting to terminate Arredondo’s employment and making statements about his job performance or disciplinary record, according to a court filing from the 68th District Court.
The court found there was evidence to support Arredondo’s claims, the filing states.
"We are seeking a fair resolution that respects Dr. Arredondo's rights and adheres to the contractual and legal obligations of Grand Prairie ISD,” Mary Nix, Arredondo’s lawyer, said in a press release.
In the filing, Arredondo’s lawyers argue that the district and Arredondo entered into an employment contract after a term of three years, starting July 2024 and ending June 2027.
Arredondo “performed his duties as Superintendent in a competent, professional, and diligent manner, and received positive feedback and support from the Board, the District staff, and the community,” the filing states.
Arredondo claims he faced resistance from board members Emily Liles and Aber Moffitt who questioned his decisions to reassign principles in underperforming schools and hire Hispanic executives, the filing states.
WFAA reached out to all of Grand Prairie ISD board members but did not hear back by the time of publication. Board member David Espinosa spoke to WFAA over the phone after publication, saying Arrendondo's reputation was "ruined" and that he was against the separation.
"When someone's treated unfairly we would all assume they're going to lawyer up and counter back," Espinosa said. "it's obvious that anyone would do that."
Espinosa also said Arrendondo "wasn't given his opportunity" and that he came in with "innovative ideas, equitable ideas for schools not doing as well."
"He came in wanting to help teachers. He wasn't given that opportunity," Espinosa said.
According to Espinosa, no students were harmed in the alleged violation.
In 2022, Arrendondo stepped down as superintendent at Pharr-San Juan Alamo ISD which underwent a financial audit the following year. He also previously served as the Chief School Officer of Houston Independent School District.
He argued that after he was placed on leave Sept. 4 by the board, he was not allowed to respond to complaints against him.
“The Board's actions led by Liles and Moffitt were arbitrary and wrong, and violated (Arredondo’s) contractual and constitutional rights,” the filing states.
Arredondo argues that if the board is allowed to vote on his termination, it would deprive him of the salary and benefits outlined in his contract and harm his reputation, preventing potential career advancement, according to the filing.
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