ROUND ROCK, Texas (Talk1370.com) -- A third-party investigator hired by the Round Rock ISD school board earlier this year concluded that RRISD Superintendent Dr. Hafedh Azaiez "could not come back into his position and be effective."
The report, submitted to the board on March 8 and released on Friday as a part of an open records request, details the investigation conducted by Ann Dixon, who was hired by the board in January to look into the allegations surrounding Azaiez after he was placed on administrative leave.
Despite the conclusions outlined in the report, trustees voted 5-2 to reinstate Azaiez on March 24. He resumed his duties on March 25.
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According to Dixon's report, the investigation included interviews with 22 people, including members of the RRISD board, law enforcement, staff members, attorneys, and the individuals involved in the allegations, along with volumes of documents and other supporting materials.
The report identified two investigations being conducted by the Travis County Sheriff's Office, along with a third being done by the Texas Education Agency. No charges have been filed against Azaiez.
According to the report, in a January 27 oral presentation to the board in closed session, Dixon said she could not come to conclusions regarding the investigations. However, Dixon said "the divisiveness created in the community by Dr. Azaiez’s behavior and the lack of Dr. Azaiez to be forthcoming with information has created a failure to establish a positive working relationship with the Board of Trustees."
The report outlines several instances of Azaiez failing to inform the board of matters related to the allegations, including the protective orders, the TEA investigation being opened, and a settlement agreement in the case.
Dixon's fact-finding also identified other issues, including a pending grievance and threatened lawsuit against Azaiez in Donna ISD, his former district. The report also indicates that the superintendent search firm used by Round Rock to select Azaiez "would not have advanced [his] name forward" if they had known about the relationship between Azaiez and his accuser.
In concluding, Dixon cites the Texas Education Code and Texas Administrative Code as the basis of her recommendation against the board reinstating Azaiez. Title 19 of the TAC defines a superintendent as someone who "understands, values, and is able to (1) model and promote the highest standard of conduct, ethical principles, and integrity in decision making, actions, and behaviors."
"Based on my collective fact findings and understanding of the laws and rules of an educator in Texas I did state Dr. Azaiez in my opinion could not come back into his position and be effective," the report concluded.