Keller ISD Trustees Must Be Held Criminally Accountable for Texas Open Meetings Act Violations
Keller ISD Trustees Must Be Held Criminally Accountable for Texas Open Meetings Act Violations
By Texas Public Education Defense Fund (TPEDF)
The public trust has been broken in Keller Independent School District, not by accident, but through several elected school board members' deliberate pattern of deception and secrecy. Based on the mounting evidence revealed in legal filings and investigative reporting, TPEDF is calling on the Tarrant County District Attorneys Office to criminally prosecute Keller ISD trustees Charles Randklev, John Birt, Heather Washington, and former Trustee Micah Young for their blatant violations of the Texas Open Meetings Act (TOMA).
What Did They Do?
According to a new lawsuit filed in Tarrant County on July 31, 2025, these trustees engaged in secret planning sessions as early as May 2024, months before any public acknowledgment, aiming to split Keller ISD into separate entities. Their actions included:
- Holding private meetings outside of public view to strategize on the split.
- Discussing official business via personal emails, secured message apps, and off-site meetings that were never posted or announced to the public.
- Coordinating closed-door sessions involving financial consultants and legal advisors while falsely claiming that such discussions didn’t begin until December 19, 2024.
- Making key decisions as a quorum, the legal threshold for board deliberations, without public notice, which is a criminal offense under TOMA.
These actions didn’t just violate board policy; they are breaking the law.
What Is the Texas Open Meetings Act?
The Texas Open Meetings Act (TOMA) exists to protect democracy at the local level. It ensures that when government officials, including school board members, make decisions about our tax dollars, schools, and children, they do so transparently, with proper notice, and in open public meetings.
TOMA prohibits trustees from meeting in private (or serially in small groups, aka a “walking quorum”) to discuss public matters that are supposed to be addressed in public. These laws are not optional. Violating TOMA is a Class B misdemeanor in Texas and can result in fines, removal from office, and jail time.
Why It Matters
Randklev, Birt, Washington, and Young's actions weren’t just procedural missteps; they were part of a calculated, covert effort to bypass public input on the most radical proposal in Keller ISD history: a complete district split.
This wasn’t about improving education. It was about political maneuvering behind closed doors, using taxpayer money to push a hidden agenda. It’s reported that over $264,000 in taxpayer funds were funneled to legal and consulting firms, some wholly involved in crafting this secret plan.
This kind of behavior is precisely what TOMA was written to prevent.
The Case for Criminal Prosecution
TPEDF stands firm in our belief that civil accountability via lawsuits is not enough. If these trustees are not held criminally responsible for their actions, it sends a dangerous message: that elected officials can manipulate public power in the dark without consequence.
We urge the Tarrant County District Attorneys Office to:
- Open a criminal investigation into all four trustees involved in the secret planning and quorum-based discussions.
- Pursue charges under Texas Government Code Chapter 551, which prohibits secret deliberations and imposes criminal penalties for violations.
This will send a clear message that the people of Tarrant County and all Texans expect transparency, accountability, and lawful conduct from their elected leaders.
Public Education Deserves Better
At a time when public schools are under attack from political extremists, the last thing we need is rogue trustees behaving like backroom power brokers. Keller ISD students, parents, teachers, and taxpayers deserve leaders who work in the light of day, not in secret.
The Texas Public Education Defense Fund (TPEDF) will continue to monitor this case closely and support all legal efforts to ensure justice is served for the community and the integrity of Texas public education.
Join Us. Defend Public Education. Demand Accountability and Transparency.