Key figures involved in the temporary suspension of Round Rock ISD Superintendent Hafedh Azaiez include*: WHO’S WHO?
district searched for someone to fill the role in the interim, pending the results of the investigation into allegations of assault. Presley was also acting superintendent from November 2020 to July 5, 2021, when Azaiez took over. Though state, county and RRISD officials have released minimal details involving costs and possi- ble implications for Azaiez, community members havemade clear they feel the situation is detrimental to the district. Cagy said the investigation is just the latest of a long list of reasons the district is now known nation- wide in a negative light. He called on the board to fire Azaiez, saying the controversy was only doing more damage to RRISD. Even district parents who have in some ways come to Azaiez’ defense said ongoing discussion in a pub- lic setting is making matters worse. During a Jan. 3 special meeting, RRISD parent Ginny Guston recommended the board and district administrators focus on their jobs and education, and let law enforcement do their jobs. “If law enforcement finds credible evidence to charge Dr. Azaiez, then that is when a suspension for him should be considered,” Guston said. “Dr. Azaiez at least has been willing, unlike any superintendent before him, to meet with parents to listen openly to their concerns and goals.” Ongoing investigation The RRISD board concluded its search for a super- intendent on May 21, 2021, voting 5-2 to nominate Azaiez as the sole finalist out of 48 candidates. Bone and Weston voted no, citing procedural mis- steps in the hiring process and a lack of experience, respectively. After a 21-day waiting period mandated by the TEA, on June 14 the board voted 5-2 to hire Azaiez. The district highlighted his multilingual background and track record of expanding science and math offerings for middle school students. One month later in July, a complainant filed a peti- tion for a protective order in a Travis County District Court alleging physical assault and infidelity. Over the course of several RRISD board meetings since then, many people have addressed the board and called for trustees to take action against Azaiez based on the order. The Travis County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that
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Then in late spring 2021, controversy continued over what some within the district saw as an expe- dited hiring process for new Superintendent Hafedh Azaiez, who was eventually hired in June. In August, the Texas Education Agency assigned a monitor, David Faltys, to RRISD based on a com- plaint levied against former Board Member Chad Chadwell from 2019. At a Sept. 14 regular meeting, two district par- ents challenged seating restrictions imposed by the district due to COVID-19 safety protocols. They also voiced disagreement over procedural steps centered on the district's tax rate. Both parents were arrested three days later on misdemeanor charges for disrup- tion of a public hearing. Around that time, trusteesMary Bone and Danielle Weston faced censure, or formal condemnation, over disruptive actions at a board meeting involving their opposition to the seating policy at public hearings. In November, Bone and Weston began appearing on national media platforms to voice their disap- proval of the arrests and characterize their pending censure as an overreach of power. RRISD officials have still not taken action on the censure of Bone and Weston. Most recently, RRISD officials voted Jan. 6 to place Azaiez on administrative leave—pending the outcome of an investigation into underlying per- sonal conduct described in a Travis County District Court—and for the board to engage an independent investigator. The string of controversies, capped by the decision to place Azaiez on leave, has resulted in many resi- dents publicly stating they have lost faith in RRISD. “2021 has made RRISD national news,” district par- ent John Cagy said at a Jan. 3 board meeting. “This is not good notoriety. … We are not known for our stellar achievements in academics or for bringing up the lowest-performing students out of the muck and leading them to a bright future.” The latest controversy The decision to suspend Azaiez came after the board received a Dec. 15 memo from Faltys, who rec- ommended placing Azaiez on leave. On Jan. 6, the board voted to suspend Azaiez and selected Daniel Presley, RRISD senior chief of schools and innovation, as acting superintendent while the
Hafedh Azaiez Suspended RRISD Superintendent
Daniel Presley Acting Superintendent
Jun Xiao Place 1 Trustee
Mary Bone Place 2 Trustee
Cory Vessa Place 4 Trustee
Amber Feller Place 3 Trustee
Amy Weir Place 5 Trustee
Tiffanie Harrison Place 6 Trustee
Danielle Weston Place 7 Trustee
Mary Goodrich Nix Azaiez’s legal representative
*PHOTO OF TEA-ASSIGNED RRISD MONITOR DAVID FALTYS NOT AVAILABLE
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