JULY%15%CORRESPONDENCE%

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!
From:!Guy%Barnard!!
Date:!Wed,!Jul!15,!2015!at!6:04!PM!
Subject:!Re:!Hillsboro!Smear!Campaign?!
To:!Bill!Squires!!
Cc:!PJ!Mezera,!CO!Schoolboard!Group,!Beth!Burgos,!Jason!Golden,!Mike!Looney,!
Randy!Mantooth,!Greg!Grisham!!
Dear!Mr.!Squires!!
!
Thank!you!very!much!for!your!reply.!!It!is!good!to!hear!from!you!on!this!topic.!
!
I!do!understand!that!you!and!Mr.!Golden!in!good!faith!may!have!initially!advised!the!
Board!Chairman!that!an!investigation!was!warranted!under!board!policy!
5.500.!!!However,!due!to!some!conflicting!facts!in!the!timeline,!I!do!need!further!
clarification.!
!
First,!the!Board!investigation!started!on!April!2,!three!days!before!Ms.!Martin!first!
emailed!the!WCS!Board!and!hence!before!any!potential!complaint!of!a!hostile!work!
environment!by!this!employee!was!made.!!Multiple!emails!confirm!this!fact.!!For!
example:!!Dr.!Looneys!email!of!April!3!to!Mr.!Mezera!and!Ms.!Curlee!references!the!
investigation!and!cites!very!specific!examples!by!one!of!the!Board!members!acting!in!
her!capacity!as!a!Board!member!and!her!official!requests!of!district!employees.!!!
!
On!April!8,!the!day!after!Mr.!Golden!informed!Ms.!Martin!that!a!5.500!investigation!
would!be!conducted,!Ms.!Martin!clarified!in!writing!that!she!was!not!complaining!about!a!
violation!of!Board!Policy!5.500!(see!Exhibit!6!referenced!in!the!Hillsboro!report).!!This!
was!reaffirmed!!through!her!attorneys,!and!your!own!outside!counsel!confirmed!that!Ms.!
Martin!did!not!make!a!complaint!or!grievance!with!the!Board!claiming!hostile!
environment!or!retaliatory!conduct.!!It!is!quite!clear!that!such!a!claim!was!never!made,!
and!the!investigation!was!started!before!any!word!from!Ms.!Martin.!!!!!!!
!
Therefore,!would!you!please!elaborate!on!why!the!initial!investigation!(April!2)!
started?!!If!you!were,!at!some!point,!operating!under!an!assumption!that!this!was!a!
5.500!investigation,!why!did!you!not!cease!the!investigation!once!it!was!clear!that!board!
policy!5.500!no!longer!applied!(April!8)?!!Why!did!Mr.!Golden!some!two!weeks!later!
continue!to!advise!your!client!that!board!policy!5.500!still!applied!(see!email!below)!
when!he!had!information!to!the!contrary!from!the!original!alleged!complainant?!Why!did!
you!continue!this!assertion!in!your!letter!of!April!30!to!Mr.!Castelli,!when!at!that!time!you!
had!contrary!information!from!each!of!the!original!complainant,!the!Superintendent,!and!
outside!counsel?!!!Outside!counsel!providing!an!executive!briefing!on!April!16.!
!
I!recognize!it!is!easy!in!hindsight!to!raise!these!questions!"from!the!outside!looking!in",!
and!mean!no!disrespect,!but!since!the!investigator!was!paid!$175!per!hour,!!nearly!the!

equivalent!of!8!teachers!in!the!classroom,!it!is!important!that!the!public!understand!that!
this!investigation!was!continued!no!longer!than!any!reasonable!set!of!Board!Directors!
would!pursue.!
!
Finally,!how!does!policy!5.500!correlate!to!a!disloyalty!allegation!against!Dr.!Looney!
and!why!would!you!scope!the!investigation!to!include!private!parent!emails!right!through!
June!2015?!!!
!
As!for!this!information!being!attorneybclient!privileged,!I!believe!that!privilege!was!
relinquished!when!your!client!disclosed!the!contents!of!the!advice!in!the!public!domain!
(example!email!below).!!!Further,!I!do!not!believe!you!can!continue!to!maintain!such!
privilege!now!there!is!no!known!or!pending!litigation!on!this!matter.!!!If!you!are!in!
possession!of!additional!material!information!that!has!not!been!disclosed!relating!to!this!
case,!please!could!you!inventory!it!for!me!(a!simple!list!will!suffice!at!this!stage!to!avoid!
any!unnecessary!burden!or!further!taxpayer!expense).!
!
Thanks,!
Guy!
!
Guy!Barnard!
!
EMAIL!EXHIBIT!REFERENCED!ABOVE:!
!
April!24,!2015!
From:!Jason!Golden!
To:!P.J.!Mezera!
!
PJ,!
!
Per!our!conversation,!I!wanted!to!confirm!my!understanding!of!the!investigation!
currently!being!conducted!by!Randall!Mantooth's!office.!This!is!an!independent!
investigation!of!a!teacher!complaint.!As!such,!it!is!not!being!directed!by!either!Dr.!
Looney!or!the!Board!but!is!instead!occurring!pursuant!to!the!terms!of!Board!
Policy!5.500,!AntiMHarassment,!that!allows!for!an!investigation!by!the!Board's!
attorney!if!there!is!an!allegation!that!involves!either!the!Board!of!Education!or!the!
Superintendent.!The!purpose!of!this!longstanding!policy!that!predates!the!current!
Board!is!to!have!an!avenue!for!such!an!investigation!that!is!outside!the!traditional!
supervisory!lines!of!those!who!might!be!the!subject!of!an!investigation.!It!was!
apparently!determined!by!policy!many!years!ago!that!a!private!practice!attorney!
could!best!do!this.!
!
Jason!Golden!
Deputy!Superintendent!&!Gen.!Counsel!
Williamson!County!Schools!

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!
From:!Bill%Squires!!
Date:!Wed,!Jul!15,!2015!at!4:24!PM!
Subject:!RE:!Hillsboro!Smear!Campaign?!
To:!Guy!Barnard,!PJ!Mezera,!!
Cc:!CO!Schoolboard!Group,!Beth!Burgos,!Jason!Golden,!Mike!Looney,!Randy!
Mantooth,!Greg!Grisham!!
!
Mr.$Barnard:$$I$recognize$there$may$be$some$confusion$as$to$the$process$involved.$$It$is$sometimes$
difficult$to$see$things$from$the$outside$looking$in,$as$they$say.
$
As$to$why$the$complaint$was$reviewed$under$Board$policy$5.500,$the$simplest$answer$is$that$it$was$done$
upon$the$advice$of$counsel.$$When$the$complaint$was$initially$received$it$was$reviewed$by$Mr.$Golden,$
who$also$discussed$it$with$me.$$We$agreed$that$was$the$proper$course$for$any$investigation$that$was$
going$to$occur,$and$communicated$that$advice$to$our$client.$$As$you$might$guess,$the$basis$for$that$
advice$and$the$nature$of$those$communications$is$protected$by$the$attorneyFclient$privilege,$so$I$am$not$
at$liberty$to$share$that$information$with$you.$$I$am$comfortable$suggesting$that$there$were$several$
reasons$why$that$advice$was$given,$and$both$Mr.$Golden$and$I$stand$by$that$advice$now.
$
I$cannot$speak$to$communications$between$Mr.$Grisham,$Mr.$Mantooth,$and$any$of$the$Board$
members.$$Having$said$that,$however,$given$the$position$inhabited$by$Mr.$Grisham$and$Mr.$Mantooth$in$
this$matter,$those$communications$are$very$likely$protected$by$the$attorneyFclient$privilege$as$well$and$
cannot$be$shared$without$a$waiver$of$that$privilege.
$
Thank$you,
Bill
$
William$E.$Squires
Attorney$for$Williamson$County$Schools

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From:!PJ%Mezera!!
Date:!Wed,!Jul!15,!2015!at!4:19!PM!
Subject:!Re:!Hillsboro!Smear!Campaign?!
To:!Guy!Barnard!!
Cc:!CO!Schoolboard!Group,!Beth!Burgos,!Jason!Golden,!Bill!Squires,!Mike!Looney!!
!
I!will!allow!our!Attorneys!to!reply!to!you!further!on!this!matter.!
!
PJ!Mezera!

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!
On!Jul!15,!2015,!at!2:32!PM,!Guy!Barnard!wrote:!
!
Dear!Mr!Mezera!
!
Thanks!as!ever!for!your!prompt!and!helpful!reply.!!Actually!my!questions!werent!
intended!to!be!rhetorical,!rather!I!am!just!trying!to!understand!the!inception!of!this!effort!
and!whether!its!scope!was!in!any!way!overreaching.!
!
One!follow!up!clarifying!question,!I!am!actually!surprised!to!see!that!this!was!started!
purely!under!policy!5.500!as!while!the!investigators!indicated!they!reviewed!this!policy,!
they!were!also!clear!that!the!educator!did!not!make!a!claim!of!harassment,!and!that!this!
was!reaffirmed!through!counsel!several!times.!!The!investigation!also!started!prior!to!
the!correspondence!with!the!educator.!So!if!it!wasnt!an!investigation!of!a!harassment!
claim!how!did!it!continue!to!proceed!under!5.500?!!!Did!someone!else!make!a!false!
harassment!charge!and!if!so!will!they!be!disciplined!under!that!same!policy!5.500?!
!
Also,!the!report!states!explicitly!""Board!chairman!P.J.!Mezera!and!vice!chairwoman!
Beth!Burgos!determined!the!scope!of!the!investigation.!!Can!you!just!confirm!that!
neither!you!nor!Beth!instructed!the!investigator!on!disloyalty!by!the!Superintendent!and!
will!you!be!claiming!back!some!of!the!expenses!from!the!firm!that!went!beyond!the!
agreed!scope?!
!
Many!thanks!
!
Guy!
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From:!PJ%Mezera!!
Date:!Wed,!Jul!15,!2015!at!8:17!AM!
Subject:!Re:!Hillsboro!Smear!Campaign?!
To:!Guy!Barnard,!CO!Schoolboard!Group!!
Cc:!Beth!Burgos,!Jason!Golden,!Bill!Squires,!Mike!Looney!!
!
Mr.!Barnard,!
!
I!am!assuming!most!of!your!questions!are!rhetorical.!!Nevertheless,!the!investigator,!
being!independent!and!NOT!familiar!with!our!Policies!or!Procedures!intimately!as!our!
own!Central!Office,!did!his!best!to!piece!together!all!information!received!with!very!little!
guidance.!
!
I!will!maintain!my!statement,!to!the!contrary!of!your!allegation!and!Mr.!Grisham's!

assertion,!that!the!Board!NEVER!requested!an!investigation!through!any!formal!
resolution!or!vote.!!I!personally!never!requested!an!investigation!or!that!it!be!conducted!
independently!as!Chairman.!!Dr.!Looney!can!testify!to!this!as!he!was!present!in!every!
instance.!!This!matter!has!always!been!a!product!of!Policy!5.500.!!To!say!otherwise!is!
simply!incorrect.!
!
I!understand!the!confusing!nature!of!this!investigation!and!its!evolution!could!lend!itself!
to!suspicion!and!speculation.!!I!also!understand!that!statements!or!assertions!by!
individual!Board!Members!contribute!to!this!confusion.!!However,!this!investigation!was!
conducted!in!compliance!with!established!Board!Policy!and!under!the!counsel!of!our!
Attorneys.!
!
Tax!payers!may!grieve!for!the!cost!of!this!investigation,!but!it!was!done!as!necessitated!
under!Policy!and!legal!counsel!to!the!satisfaction!of!public!scrutiny.!
!
If!you!have!any!other!specific!questions!as!to!the!legality!of!this!matter,!Mr.!Golden!
should!be!able!to!respond!accordingly.!
Sincerely,!
PJ!
!
PJ!Mezera!
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On!Jul!14,!2015,!at!6:55!PM,!Guy!Barnard!wrote:!
!
Dear!Mr.!Mezera,!Dr.!Burgos,!Mr.!Squires,!and!Mr.!Golden,!
!
I!am!writing!in!reference!to!the!Hillsboro!report!which!was!released!to!the!media!today,!
and!would!like!final!written!clarification!on!when!and!where!the!Board!decision!was!
made!to!commission!this!investigation,!and!why!Dr!Burgos!contributed!to!a!lengthier!
evaluation!than!needed!by!withholding!evidence.!
!
It!is!now!clear!to!me!from!the!report!that!the!work!was!indeed!an!action!of!the!Board!
(despite!your!earlier!statements!to!the!contrary)!and!had!specific!parameters!of!scope!
that!could!not!have!been!set!at!Dr.!Looneys!request!(specifically!to!evaluate!his!
disloyalty).!!!In!fact!the!one!reason!to!keep!this!attorneybclient!privileged!that!this!was!
a!hostile!work!environment!claim!was!also!clearly!dispelled!as!not!even!in!the!the!
employees!original!three!emails.!
!
Dr.!Burgos!please!can!you!let!me!know!why!you!chose!to!deliberate!with!Mr.!Mezera!
over!email!and!recommend!that!my!letter!below!be!withheld!from!the!investigating!
attorneys!as!nonbcredible!and!why!you!felt!certain!parents!were!also!under!investigation!
at!the!time.!
!
Mr.!Mezera!and!Mr.!Squires,!please!can!you!let!me!know!where!the!minutes!are!of!the!
decision!to!spend!this!significant!taxholder!expense.!!Mr!Squires,!I!should!note!that!I!

asked!this!of!you!on!April!10,!per!below,!and!to!Mr!Golden!subsequently,!and!neither!of!
you!have!been!able!to!explain!this.!
!
Thank!you!all!for!your!considerable!service,!I!hope!you!will!understand!this!letter!is!sent!
purely!in!the!interest!of!Government!accountability!to!its!people.!
!
!
Sincerely,!
!
Guy!Barnard

APRIL%24%CORRESPONDENCE%
!
From:!PJ%Mezera!!
Date:!Fri,!Apr!24,!2015!at!7:19!PM!
Subject:!Re:!Mr.!Mezera,!Ms.!Curlee!and!Mr.!Gregory!
To:!Guy!Barnard!
Yes!sir.!
PJ!Mezera!
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On!Apr!24,!2015,!at!7:03!PM,!Guy!Barnard!wrote:!
Dear!Mr.!Mezera!
Thank!you!for!your!prompt!reply.!I!understand!and!appreciate!your!response.!
I!am!not!sure!you!can!distance!yourself!from!Ms.!Curlee's!statement,!as!whether!or!not!
she!was!authorized!to!do!so,!she!did!represent!the!board!in!her!statement!and!has!
"apparent!authority"!to!do!so!as!a!Board!member.!
I!understand!you!will!be!issuing!a!statement!with!the!Superintendent!on!Monday!which!I!
think!will!be!helpful,!so!no!further!response!needed.!
Thanks!for!your!service.!
Guy!
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!
From:!PJ%Mezera!!
Date:!Fri,!Apr!24,!2015!at!9:22!AM!
Subject:!Re:!Mr.!Mezera,!Ms.!Curlee!and!Mr.!Gregory!
To:!Guy!Barnard!
Thank!you!for!your!email.!I!cannot!answer!to!Ms.!Curlee's!declaration!since!the!Board!
cannot!grant!leave!to!a!teacher!nor!did!the!Board!discuss!the!matter!in!deliberations.!
In!regards!to!my!quote!following!the!presentation!of!the!"tape"!to!Dr.!Looney,!that!is!in!
reference!to!a!discussion!Dr.!Looney!and!I!had!over!the!phone!following!his!decision!to!
conduct!an!independent!investigation.!
!
The!Board!was!updated!on!the!progress!of!the!investigation.!This!is!neither!illegal!or!
inappropriate,!regardless!of!who!is!conducting!the!investigation!since!a!potential!law!

suit!is!a!possibility.!
!
The!Board!has!not!authorized!an!investigation.!I!assisted!Dr.!Looney!in!hiring!an!
investigator!to!fulfill!his!request!of!not!being!involved!personally.!
!
There!have!been!no!unethical!dealings!in!this!matter!and!both!I!and!the!Board!have!
acted!in!a!completely!legal!manner!throughout.!
I!appreciate!your!questions!and!I!hope!you!are!now!fully!apprised!of!the!current!
circumstances.!
!
Sincerely,!
PJ!
PJ!Mezera!
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On!Apr!24,!2015,!at!7:28!AM,!Guy!Barnard!wrote:!
Dear!Mr.!Mezera,!Ms.!Curlee!and!Mr.!Gregory,!
I!am!writing!to!seek!clarification!on!your!recent!correspondence!with!each!other!and!
statements!you!made!to!the!media!on!April!9!and!April!11.!
Mr.!Mezera,!on!April!9,!you!indicated!to!the!Herald!that!the!week!prior,!on!April!2,!you!
held!a!meeting!with!school!board!members!Susan!Curlee,!Mark!Gregory!and!with!
Superintendent!Mike!Looney.!You!indicated!that!the!meeting!involved!both!deliberation!
and!decision:!"We!decided!that!it!might!be!best!to!avoid!the!appearance!of!a!conflict!of!
interest!so!that!there!is!no!question!about!the!nature!of!the!investigation."!
Ms.!Curlee,!on!April!11,!you!issued!a!public!statement!I!would!like!to!thank!the!board!
for!takingbup![sic]!my!request!&!providing!leave!for!a!brave!teacher!&!launching!a!
thorough!investigation!into!politically!charged!meetings!across!the!the!district.!Thank!
you!P.J.!Mezera!for!your!leadership!&!Thank!you!to!those!Board!Members!joining!me!in!
taking!a!stand.!"!
On!April!16,!the!board!met!in!executive!session!to!hear!outside!counsel!to!give!the!
board!an!update!about!the!matter,!per!the!Chairman's!reports!to!the!media.!
Yet!yesterday,!Mr.!Mezera,!you!wrote!that!the!Board!is!not!involved!in!this!investigation,!
and!that!the!Board!did!not!give!you!approval!to!help!establish!this!investigation,!but!that!
you!acted!independently!in!helping!establish!the!investigation.!
I!do!not!question!that!Dr.!Looney!asked!you!to!conduct!an!independent!investigation,!
nor!that!you!operated!throughout!with!good!intent,!but!both!the!law!and!you!yourselves!

have!been!clear!that!an!individual!board!member!cannot!act!as!an!individual,!therefore!
de!facto!you!must!have!been!acting!on!behalf!of!the!Board.!Whether!you!needed!or!
indeed!had!the!full!approval!of!the!Board!is!a!separate!matter,!and!perhaps!if!you!
jumped!the!gun!with!good!intent!it!would!be!appropriate!to!now!call!of!the!investigation!
and!issue!an!apology!for!acting!outside!of!public!meeting!law!and!without!the!approval!
of!your!fellow!Board!members.!
If!you!feel!you!had!a!legitimate!cause!to!meet!with!fellow!board!members!outside!of!
public!meeting!law,!deliberate!towards!a!decision,!and!establish!an!investigation,!please!
could!you!clarify.!
Sincerely,!
Guy!Barnard!

APRIL 10-11 CORRESPONDENCE

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From:!PJ%Mezera!!
Date:!Fri,!Apr!10,!2015!at!3:38!PM!
Subject:!Re:!Audio!Tape!Time!Recorded!
To:!Guy!Barnard!!
!
!
Excellent!work.!!I!am!forwarding!on!to!the!investigator.!
Thank!you,!
PJ!
!
PJ!Mezera
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On Apr 10, 2015, at 2:57 PM, Guy Barnard wrote:
Dear Mr. Mezera, Dr. Burgos, School Board Members, Mr. Squires, Mr. Golden and Dr
Looney,
I am writing in reference to today's media reports that the School Board has retained

outside counsel in matters relating to an audio file furnished by Susan Curlee from
anonymous sources.
There seems to be some confusion around the time this audio file was made and
whether it was made during school hours. I analyzed the unedited file that was
published by those close to (or including) Susan Curlee and Julie West, and found the
meta data were still intact and consistent with a recording finished at 9.44pm on
September 29, 2014 on an Apple device. The data includes:
File Name : Teachers-Meeting-Tape.m4a
(name set during publishing not name of original recording)
MIME Type : audio/mp4
Create Date : 2014:09:29 21:44:02
Modify Date : 2014:09:29 21:44:03
Duration : 0:30:13
Track Create Date : 2014:09:29 21:44:02
Track Modify Date : 2014:09:29 21:44:03
Handler Description : Core Media Audio
Audio Channels : 2
It is a simple procedure to inspect this; counsel hired by the Board is welcome to
contact me personally if they do not know how to do this, to minimize any further
taxpayer expense that is expended on this investigation.
I hope this information is helpful to you.
Sincerely,
Guy Barnard