Grand Prairie Independent School District is firing suspended Superintendent Jorge Arredondo just five months after hiring him, and residents still don’t know why.
During a special school board meeting on Monday night, trustees voted 5-2 to terminate Arredondo’s contract “for the reasons discussed by the board in closed session.” Trustees Gloria Carrillo and David Espinosa voted no.
The vote followed months of community complaints about Grand Prairie ISD trustees’ lack of transparency surrounding the superintendent’s suspension, which sparked a lawsuit by Arredondo.
One district employee called the situation “frustrating” and “embarrassing.”
Arredondo started as superintendent on July 1 but has been on paid administrative leave since September 4.
Specific reasons for his suspension have never been publicly disclosed.
Following a secretive investigation conducted by outside law firm Walsh Gallegos, trustees voted on October 2 to “move forward” with firing Arredondo “as discussed in closed session.” They cited Arredondo’s “violations” of a board policy prohibiting discrimination, harassment, or retaliation against district employees.
Trustees were set to fire him on October 17, but Arredondo sued the district and secured a temporary restraining order blocking the board’s action. That order expired, allowing for Monday’s vote.
Arredondo’s lawsuit claims he was wrongfully placed on leave and targeted for termination without being told the reasons—an alleged violation of his contract.
The lawsuit, which the district has since removed to federal court, also alleges Arredondo was the target of racial bias by Board President Amber Moffitt and Trustee Emily Liles.
According to Arredondo, Moffitt and Liles objected to several of his personnel decisions, including his decision to hire former colleagues Rolando “Rudy” Trevino and Jorge Medina as executive administrators.
Arredondo worked with both men at Houston ISD and later hired them to work under him when he was superintendent of Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD. Those hiring decisions came under scrutiny in an audit conducted by PSJA ISD after Arredondo left the district in 2022.
During public comments Monday night, Grand Prairie resident and former state representative Rodney Anderson refuted Arredondo’s claim that he wasn’t told why he was suspended.
Anderson told trustees that court documents show the board received “multiple written complaints” about Arredondo in August, and that Walsh Gallegos investigators discussed the specific allegations with Arredondo.
“The outside independent firm conducted more than 40 interviews with district personnel and held a 2-1/2 hour interview with Dr. Arredondo, during which he was accompanied by legal counsel. So any claim that he didn’t know what the allegations were is simply not true,” said Anderson. “He was told the allegations and was asked questions about his responses and defenses to the complaints regarding the alleged conduct towards staff.”
“From what I can tell from the publicly available documents, this should be an easy 7-0 vote to terminate his employment immediately,” Anderson added.
Other district residents who spoke at the meeting said they were unhappy with the board’s decision and lack of transparency.
Deron Fontenot, a coach at South Grand Prairie High School, commented on social media following the board’s vote that most Grand Prairie ISD employees were “inspired” by Arredondo’s commitment to grow and improve the community and district.
“It’s a shame that we don’t have any idea what’s going on with our leadership,” Fontenot posted. “It’s a bad look on the Board. What future Superintendent wants to get hired here when you could get fired so quickly?”
If a legitimate reason is disclosed like putting GPISD is a bad position, criminal charges, or stole money then I understand completely.
If it’s simply the Board didn’t like his attitude or the changes he was bringing then why did you hire him in the first place? Did they not do research? Did they not interview him?
“Frustrating. Embarrassing,” Fontenot concluded.
The primary duty of elected school board trustees is hiring a superintendent who then hires and supervises other district employees.
While the board voted unanimously to hire Arredondo just months ago, Board President Moffitt said she was “confident” they were right to fire him on Monday.
“After a thorough investigation and the advice of legal counsel, I am confident that we made the right decision based on policy and the Texas Education Code,” Moffitt said in a district statement regarding the board’s action.
According to the statement, the board’s vote “authorized legal counsel to provide Dr. Arredondo with written notice of the proposed termination.”
Arredondo’s attorney said the vote will result in further legal action against Grand Prairie ISD and individual board members.
Until the termination is official, Arredondo will continue to receive his $317,000 salary.
Deputy Superintendent of Business Operations Tracy Ray is serving as acting superintendent while the board searches for a permanent replacement.
Grand Prairie ISD trustees will hold their next regular board meeting on December 12.
