The above video is from Nov. 24, 2020.
A Dallas County judge signed a temporary injunction order Tuesday that prohibits Lancaster Independent School District from issuing any payments to former superintendent Dr. Elijah Granger based on a Nov. 9 voluntary separation agreement.
According to court documents, the school district was supposed to issue more than $2 million in a payout to Granger within 10 days of his resignation. A Dallas County judge issued a temporary restraining order last month that halted any such payment.
Granger's resignation happened two weeks after he negotiated and signed a new five-year employment contract. The Texas Education Agency launched an investigation into the district after the board voted to accept his resignation.
Three Lancaster ISD trustees — Marion Hamilton, Ty G. Jones and Carolyn Morris — argued that paying Granger $2 million would have crippled the school district's finances, something the temporary injunction order agrees with.
"This payment is not a budgeted expense for the District, and payment would require approval of a new budget removing funds from a budgeted purpose in order to fulfill."
Last month, the Lancaster ISD board voted 4-3 to accept Granger's resignation. Hamilton, Jones and Morris were the three who voted against it.
One resident called the whole matter "a great distraction."
A trial has been scheduled for October 2021.
