State clears Judson board president

The Texas Education Agency has cleared Judson ISD board president Monica Ryan of wrongdoing.

In a letter sent on Tuesday, the state agency said its investigation did not find violations of education or government laws. Richard Segovia, the division director of special investigations at TEA, wrote that the available evidence did not point to district-level or board misconduct. The agency stated it considers the matter closed.

The probe began in June after three board members and a community member accused Ryan of abusing her power. Jose Macias Jr., Suzanne Kenoyer, and Laura Stanford alleged that Ryan pressured other trustees to vote in specific ways. They also claimed she undermined the superintendent and held private conversations with a quorum present off-site.

While Ryan is cleared, a second TEA investigation into Judson ISD is still open. That inquiry focuses on former superintendent Robert Milton Fields. Investigators are looking into allegations that Fields hired staff who were on the state's Do Not Hire registry. Fields was fired earlier this year following a contentious process that included internal investigations and long board meetings.

Ryan used her social media platforms to respond to the state's decision. She asked Macias, Kenoyer, and Stanford to resign immediately. Ryan said they made false accusations and wasted taxpayer and student money. Macias called her demand laughable. He said he has an obligation to seek accountability when he believes misconduct exists. He added that he still believes there was misconduct.

The board has been split into two factions for some time. Senior trustees and recently elected members often disagree on governance, budgets, and hiring. A recent dispute involved how meeting agendas are prepared. Ryan proposed giving the board president more control over agenda items. She wanted to remove language that required member requests to be scheduled for a near future meeting. Macias argued the old policy had worked for decades. The board voted 3-3 to keep the original policy.

Macias has been censured four times in the last six months. The sanctions included accusations of pressuring colleagues and sharing confidential information. He recently faced a sanction for talking to reporters about a stabbing at a middle school. Macias filed a lawsuit to drop the sanctions and sought one million dollars in restitution. That case is now in federal court and awaits a hearing date.

Judson ISD is currently led by a temporary superintendent. This is the fourth person to hold that role since Fields was placed on leave in January. The district has not started a search for a permanent replacement. Enrollment is declining, and one school received a fourth failing rating in a row. Ryan said she has not decided if she will run for reelection in May 2027.