BREAKING: COLLIN COUNTY, TX– Northeast of the Dallas-metropolitan area, a father in McKinney Independent School District settled a federal lawsuit against the school district after they banned him “forever” from school property over a question he raised during a school board meeting in April of 2022.
This local dad, Samuel Hall, paves the way for all parents who exercise their rights to free speech when rogue school boards overstep their authority. His lawsuit accused district officials of “acting in concert” to “deprive Hall of his constitutionally protected right to free speech and, in the process, preventing him from fully participating in the education of his children.”
In April of 2022, Hall spoke at a school board meeting, publicly criticizing the board’s failure to remove sexually explicit books from students’ libraries. Following his remarks, on his way to another school meeting that May, McKinney ISD sent a school resource police sergeant to intercept him in the parking lot and issue him a citation.
This ticket, a criminal trespass citation, banned Hall from all school property in what he believed was retaliation for his criticism of the district policies. This citation kept him away from his kids’ on-campus activities for the entire school year, and in April of 2023 was ruled invalid.
The police sergeant, the McKinney ISD head of security, the school board president and the district superintendent were all defendants in Hall’s lawsuit. He filed the lawsuit in June, accusing officials of violating his constitutionally protected right to free speech and the Texas Education Code ethics.
Education Advocate Debra Liva
Hall spent several grueling months attempting to challenge the trespass citation via the district grievance channel. He partnered with popular education advocate Debra Liva, and eventually, the two appealed the case to the Texas Education Agency, which ruled the citation invalid.
Sadly, at this point, the district officials had already robbed Hall from witnessing his children’s school involvements for an entire school year.
Finally, last Friday, Dec. 1, Hall reached a settlement with McKinney ISD and the federal case was dismissed.
Hall commented on the lengthy court case to reporters at Texas Scorecard.
“My prayer is that this case can be an example and encouragement to parents that they do not have to sacrifice their constitutional rights when school boards overstep their authority and illegally trespass parents for expressing views that do not align with their own,” Hall said.
“I also hope this serves as an example to our elected officials that they must uphold the integrity of the office to which they have been elected and not abuse the authority that they have been entrusted with,” he added.
Additionally, the Texas Scorecard obtained a comment from Hall’s attorney, Janelle Davis, who has a track record of representing families in their fight against rogue and overreaching school districts in Texas.
“I am grateful that we have been able to resolve Mr. Hall’s claims against McKinney ISD,” Davis said. “One of the reasons Mr. Hall pursued this case was to show other parents that they do not have to sit by and allow school districts to violate the law and abuse their authority.”
“It is possible to hold them accountable, and I would encourage other parents to speak up when something is not right. There is strength in numbers, and using your voice gives other people the courage to do the same,” she said.
