Ryan said the investigation turned up \u201cdozens\u201d of employee complaints citing serious concerns, some which could \u201cimpact student safety.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fields\u2019 employment was brought up twice last year in June and December, though no action was taken at the time. <\/p>\n
Jose Macias Jr., the longest-serving board member and a Fields supporter, said Ryan was fishing for a reason to fire Fields and maintains that Field didn\u2019t do anything that warranted termination. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about inner office politics,\u201d he told the Report. \u201cThey just don\u2019t want to work with him.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before taking a vote, Macias said he was ready to accuse Ryan of violating the Texas Open Meetings Act to the district attorney, the state attorney general and the Texas Education Agency if the board voted to terminate Fields. <\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/JudsonISDSpecialMeeting_jn_21.jpg\")
Judson ISD School Board Member Jos\u00e9 Macias listens to public comment during a special-called meeting on Jan. 10, 2026. Credit: Jo E. Norris for the San Antonio Report<\/p>\n
A skeptical community<\/p>\n
Public commenters \u2014 including parents, district staff and community members \u2014 on Wednesday largely relayed frustration with the board for a perceived lack of transparency, lack of due process, lowering morale and fear of state intervention.<\/p>\n
When the board first voted to place Fields on leave in January, they voted 6-1 to proceed \u201cas discussed in closed session,\u201d\u00a0 leading several news outlets and community members to believe Fields\u2019 job was safe until the district released a statement hours later clarifying that he was placed on administrative leave.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Paula Johnson is executive director of student engagement at Judson. She was concerned with the board\u2019s \u201ctreatment of Fields, and by extension, the cabinet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Notably, the board\u2019s cabinet members, which usually sit next to the board sat in the audience section of the board room during the five-hour-long Wednesday meeting.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen an organization allows manufactured chaos to rule, it signals to every employee in this district that their reputation and their longtime service to this community means nothing,\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n
Some are also concerned that the board has been violating board policy and state law by posting surprise meeting agendas, allegedly making decisions in private and overreaching from their seats on the dais. <\/p>\n
Earlier this week, community member and former Judson ISD parent Lisa Butler filed a temporary restraining order and injunction<\/a> to reverse the decision to place Fields on administrative leave and require the board to follow state laws on open meetings, which Butler alleges the board president violated when she set the agenda for the Jan. 10 meeting.\u00a0<\/p>\n The suit is currently pending with the 166th Civil District Court in Bexar County.<\/p>\n Butler was at the Wednesday meeting and said there \u201cwould be more to come\u201d for individual trustees depending on which action the board took. <\/p>\n When can a school board fire a superintendent?<\/p>\n Following a predecessor who suddenly left Judson for another district, Fields stepped into the superintendent role in 2023 after serving as deputy superintendent and principal at Wagner High School for several years. He also graduated from the district.<\/p>\n The district is currently facing a $37 million budget deficit and declining enrollment \u2014 a contentious issue between Ryan, elected in 2023, and Fields.<\/p>\n Wednesday\u2019s meeting follows months of increasingly tense budget discussions, public spats and several accusatory Facebook posts by board trustees and community members, including Ryan and Macias.\u00a0<\/p>\n In response to an open records request<\/a> asking for copies of any formal complaints made by employees, staff or school board members of Judson ISD against Fields between August and Jan 10, district staff said their \u201csearch found no responsive documents\u201d via the grievance policy under board policy.\u00a0<\/p>\n Instead of placing him on paid leave, the district should\u2019ve followed the formal grievance process, Macias said in an interview before the Feb. 4 meeting. \u00a0<\/p>\n In Texas however, school boards can terminate a superintendent\u2019s contract at any time, whether through retirement, dismissal, non-renewal or voluntary resignation.<\/p>\n Why Judson\u2019s board doesn\u2019t get along<\/p>\n Macias, Suzanne Kenoyer and Laura Stanford are the board\u2019s most senior members, and have often thrown their support behind Fields and his administrative staff as Ryan and the three newest members go against the administration, especially when discussing budget plans.<\/p>\n During public meetings and on social media, Kenoyer and Macias have accused Ryan of lying to get rid of Fields. \u201cThis process is disgusting,\u201d Kenoyer said.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s not a really good reason to do it in the middle of the year with no CFO, \u201d Stanford added. <\/p>\n In October, district chief financial officer Tony Kingman resigned his position two months into the job.<\/p>\n In November, the district went out for a voter approved tax rate increase as a way to address the deficit, increase pay and keep student programs. Voters overwhelmingly said no<\/a> with 60% of 14,701 voters opposing the proposition.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/JudsonISDSpecialMeeting_jn_13.jpg\")
PJ Cabrera, who used to teach for the district, addresses the Judson ISD School Board on Jan. 10, 2026. Credit: Jo E. Norris for the San Antonio Report<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/JudsonISDSpecialMeeting_jn_15.jpg\")
Judson ISD Board President Monica Ryan listens to public comment during a school board meeting on Jan. 10, 2026. Credit: Jo E. Norris for the San Antonio Report<\/p>\n