Latest news with #RoderickRichmond
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judge denies injunction in Feagins' case against MSCS
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A judge denied former MSCS Superintendent Marie Feagins' motion for a preliminary injunction that could have put her back in charge of Memphis schools immediately. The order was filed at 4:29 p.m. Friday; WREG received a copy Monday morning. Feagins' suit alleges Memphis Shelby County Schools board members had met secretly before the January vote that terminated her contract and installed interim Superintendent Roderick Richmond. The timeline: Feagins fired within months The judge wrote, 'A temporary injunction is an extraordinary equitable remedy used to preserve the status quo pending a final resolution on the merits.' The judge wrote about several factors Tennessee courts take into account in order to grant this type of request. One includes if Dr. Feagins could succeed at a full hearing. Former MSCS superintendent Feagins seeks injunction to void school board's firing 'Based on the proof presented by the Plaintiff at the injunction hearing, the Court finds that there is certainly a chance that the Plaintiff can succeed on the merits after a full evidentiary hearing, but there is not enough proof at this juncture to find that the Plaintiff is likely to prevail after a full evidentiary hearing,' the judge wrote. Another factor was the threat of irreparable harm to Dr. Feagins if relief is denied. She testified about losing her job, losing income, and the injury to her professional reputation, saying they're all irreparable. But the judge said those factors don't work under state law, as the loss of a job and income can be fixed with monetary damages. And when it comes to her reputation, the temporary injunction is to prevent irreparable harm, but the judge believes the harm was already done when she was publicly terminated by the board in January. Dr. Feagins sues Memphis-Shelby County Schools The judge acknowledged this case is of great interest to the public and said there would be further disruption to the administration of the school system if the reinstatement was granted at the beginning of the school year. But the judge wrote, 'At a hearing on the merits, the Court may grant the Plaintiff's prayer for a permanent injunction if the Court finds that the Shelby County School Board violated the Public Meetings Act.' 'My reaction is one of general disappointment that a seemingly unaccountable board will continue to go unchecked for many more months. I look forward to seeing what the full trial reveals,' said Shelby County Commissioner Mick Wright. Feagins' attorney has not responded to WREG's request for comment about the judge's order. But Robert Spence, the school board's attorney, told WREG, 'He is gratified and looking to move forward to end this case. Order-on-Plaintiffs-Motion-for-Preliminary-Injunction-00253881xA9A31Download Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
MSCS interim superintendent releases 100-day plan
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis Shelby County Schools' interim superintendent, Dr. Roderick Richmond, released his 100-day plan during a board meeting on Tuesday night. The plan focuses on governance and board relations, student achievement, staff relations and capacity, operations and finance, community relations, evaluation, and accountability. Dr. Richmond says it all comes down to more immediate priorities and that his first 100-day plan will go into effect on May 1. Who is MSCS Interim Superintendent Roderick Richmond? He took questions from the board when they asked why this process took so long. He says one of the first items he had to complete as interim superintendent was completing outstanding contracts and working on an organizational chart. When it comes to the actual plan, it centers around 'five A's'. Each 'A' stands for academics, attendance, attitude, athletics, and arts. In each category, he presented goals and metrics that they hope to complete within different deadlines. School board members applauded him for the detailed and comprehensive plan, but wanted to get to the meat of it, asking what exactly he plans to do differently this time around. Dr. Richmond says a complete academic plan hasn't existed in the last seven years and that he consulted with outside firms to see what changes need to be made so that the work aligns with the academic plan. MSCS board members express confidence in interim superintendent A major sticking point was also the use of 'feeder patterns', something he says will connect classrooms from elementary to high school to career development. He used an example out of Southwest Memphis, sharing the proximity of the local schools to the Southwest Career and Technology Center and eventually to Elon Musk's xAI supercomputer. 'What if we start teaching coding, start teaching STEM, and that particular feeder pattern, when you look at our CTE center, students can go to that center and start to look at some of the careers around STEM,' Dr. Richmond said. 'In working in partnership, hypothetically, again with xAI, we can turn that whole community around.' Some board members voiced their concerns with the feeder program, like Tamarquez Porter, who says this could limit parents' choice when it comes to schools. But Dr. Richmond says it is just breaking the district down into smaller sections to tailor support and focus on the individual communities. A full copy of the 100-day plan can be found below. 100 Day Plan Presentation Dr. Richmond UPDATED-final0429-3Download Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
