SAYING GOODBYE – Former Decatur ISD athletic director and head football coach Mike Fuller, right, is hugged by assistant football coach Ty Lang following Friday’s eight-hour-long school board meeting where Fuller and the school board reached a separation agreement. Many who spoke in support of Fuller gathered to wish him well following the vote. Messenger photo by Richard Greene
The Decatur School Board in a 4-2 vote Friday approved a resignation agreement with head football coach and athletic director Mike Fuller, who has spent the last seven years leading the DISD athletic program.
Board President Thomas Houchin along with Vice President Chris Lowery and newly-elected board members Dylan Barnes and Melonie Christian voted for the agreement, while Secretary Kristy Campbell and Marsha Hafer voted against accepting the resignation agreement.
Lowery motioned to accept the separation agreement, seconded by Barnes. Houchin voted even though he said when he became board president last month he would only vote when a tie-breaker made it necessary. Houchin said, “although it will be my general rule to only vote on tiebreakers, I knew this matter would be publicized, and I was not going to leave three members under scrutiny and/or positive reactions by themselves.”
The district will pay Fuller his full salary through Feb. 28, 2022, which is the effective date of his resignation, according to a copy of the agreement obtained by the Messenger Tuesday through an open records request. Fuller will be on paid administrative leave until that time or until he begins full-time employment elsewhere. Read the full separation agreement online at wcmess.com/separationagreement.
The action came after a more than eight-hour meeting, seven of which were behind closed doors despite the fact Fuller and his attorney, Derrick Boyd, requested the personnel item be addressed in open session so the public could hear the discussions. Texas Government Code 551.074 relating to personnel matters allows the board to discuss the matter privately unless the employee who is the subject of the deliberation requests a public hearing.
Messenger photo by Richard Greene
After the meeting, Houchin contacted the Messenger to clarify that the board went into closed session only for consultation with their attorney regarding a potential separation agreement, and since an agreement was reached, there was no need to have the personnel discussion listed on the closed session agenda.
When asked when the board had that personnel discussion regarding Fuller which led to the need for a separation agreement, since the personnel matter had never been on an agenda since Fuller’s unanimous contract extension in March, Houchin said, “we had an attorney consultation regarding legal issues to his employment as posted on the agenda, and I’m not going to discuss that confidential communication the board had with our lawyer.”
SPEAKERS OFFER SUPPORT OF FULLER
The closed session came after an hour of public comments where 14 people spoke – all in favor of Fuller – at the beginning of the 9 a.m. meeting. That included two letters, one on behalf of board member Jennifer Wren, who could not attend the meeting and one that was read on behalf of all DISD coaches expressing their support for Fuller.
In the letter from Wren, she states that she learned on Friday, June 4, that Houchin had ordered Superintendent Joseph Coburn to reassign Fuller, even though the board had not discussed the position and unanimously renewed Fuller’s contract in March. She said she and Campbell on June 7 asked for a special meeting on the matter, but since they could not find a time when all board members could be present, they amended their request for the item to be discussed at the next regular school board meeting Monday, June 21. Wren said she learned on Sunday, June 13 that Houchin called the meeting for Friday morning, June 18, to address the athletic director.
The Messenger has sent an open records request to the school district in an attempt to confirm that Houchin ordered Fuller’s reassignment prior to the calling of the meeting. That information had not been made available by press deadline Tuesday.
Wren said she asked for the letter to be read to “let Mr. Houchin know that, in my opinion, while his action in setting this meeting today may have been legal, it was not right. As school board members, we are bound by ethical standards and we all have rights and duties we owe to the taxpayers of Decatur ISD. As a president of the Decatur ISD school board, our leader should be exhibiting these ethical standards, should work to preserve the rights of all, and should include all board members in the process when able.”
The letter read on behalf of the coaches spoke of the success of the athletic department during Fuller’s tenure and his positive impact on young athletes.
“Decatur ISD athletic department is not broken and does not need to be fixed,” the letter stated. “This athletic department is thriving, and that’s no accident. We have great kids, but we also have great leadership. Our athletic department has been one of the most stable areas of our district over the last seven years. That’s a result of the leadership and support from Mike Fuller. Decatur ISD is in good hands, and we feel there is no reason to deviate from the course that Coach Fuller had led us down during his time in Decatur.”
Several current and former coaches who worked with Fuller also spoke during public forum.
Track and cross country coach David Park said in his 40 years in education, he had never felt the need to address the board about a concern until now. He called Fuller the best athletic director he had worked for – a sentiment echoed by several coaches who spoke.
AWAITING THE VOTE – Mike Fuller, center front, and his attorney Derrick Boyd, seated to Fuller’s right, along with other DISD employees and community members listen to board members speak following closed session and moments before voting to accept the separation agreement. Messenger photo by Richard Greene
“Folks, you’re barking up the wrong tree,” he said.
Multiple speakers mentioned the issue was causing a rift in the community.
Lisa Heiens, who recently left as a Decatur school district employee, said she pointed to that in her exit interview.
“My biggest concern was and remains the fact the board is creating an unstable environment within our district and our community,” she said. “This is becoming more evident this week with board and community members saying ‘our side’ and ‘their side.’ Our board, our superintendent and our community should be on the same side: the side that makes decisions to do what is best for our kids.”
Community member Andrew Rottner said the board was failing to communicate the reason for the desired change with the public, leading to harm in the community.
“Taxpayers do deserve clear and honest communication from our school board,” he said. ” … The complete lack of transparency has occurred in the past month and it is fueling rampant speculation in our district and has done great harm to this wonderful community.”
He went on to say that a possible bond election in the near future will almost certainly fail due to lack of trust in the current school board, and any delay in construction could cost the district millions of dollars if interest rates increase.
Another common comment was questioning the timing of the issue, since Fuller’s contract was just renewed by a 7-0 vote March 22.
Former DISD board member Jim Lamirand said the unanimous vote three months ago shows that the board had confidence in Fuller and wondered what changed since that time.
“I think we can all agree that the timing of this move is hard for this district, and it’s not ideal for the kids as well, changing a football coach right before the season is going to be tough,” he said.
Band Director Eric McNiel, who has been at Decatur for 18 years, told a personal story of how Fuller brought his family dinner when several members of his family got COVID-19 earlier this year and how Fuller always made him feel like he was part of his team.
“I’ve turned down a bunch of jobs to stay here, especially in the last 10 years. I’ve never thought about leaving until April, and that’s just because of the ripples I’m feeling,” he said.
Former Decatur mayor Martin Woodruff also spoke in support of Fuller, calling him the most effective athletic director he’s known in the past 40 years.
Following an hour of public comments, the board entered into closed session for seven hours to discuss the matter.
During that time, attorneys for the school district met with the board and then separately with Boyd to work out the details of the resignation agreement.
Boyd said after the meeting that it was Fuller’s original desire to remain at Decatur ISD.
“We came here today to inform the board that Mike intended to remain the football coach and athletic director,” Boyd told a group of supporters who stayed after the meeting. “We were informed later in the day that a majority wanted to make a change, and when the majority wants to make a change, a change is going to come, so at that point I had a discussion with Mike and we had to do what was best moving forward, and that’s what we spent the majority of the day doing, trying to reach an agreement.”
BOARD VOTES FOR SEPARATION
When the board returned to open session at 5 p.m., Campbell and Hafer both made tearful remarks praising Fuller and wondering why the board that had recently voted to extend Fuller’s contract was now ready to vote to separate with him.
“I personally see no reason for this to be happening,” Campbell said. “I’ve sat here today and listened to a letter signed by all coaches of Decatur ISD in support of Coach Fuller remaining as athletic director. In my opinion, that fact can not be ignored. That shows how strong and powerful our athletic department is under the leadership of Mike Fuller. How can we as a board ignore that? How can we as a board dismiss that?”
She then outlined the athletic department’s success over the past year, made even more challenging by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Through tears, Hafer also said she supported Fuller.
“I’ve always got you coach,” she said. “You’re a good man and I appreciate you.”
Christian said she was speaking as a former educator – she was formerly principal at Rann Elementary – and said decisions are always made with what is best for kids in mind. She said while she understood the concerns of the people who spoke at the meeting, she had heard different concerns from other people.
“I have to listen to every voice I hear, and I have heard from a large amount of the silent majority,” Christian said. “Moving forward I feel like I’m doing what is best for the things I’ve heard related to our students. Being an educator of 28 years, I make my own decisions about education. I don’t need to hear from someone else their opinion. I know if I can’t feel good at night and say I did what I felt was best in my heart based on the information I had then, I’m not doing what’s best for kids.”
The other three board members who voted in favor of accepting the separation agreement did not make any public comments on the reasons for their vote. That included Houchin and Lowery, who were among the board members in March who voted to extend Fuller’s contract.
Moments after the vote, the dozens of Fuller’s supporters who remained in the board room the entire day for the board’s decision quietly made their way out to the hallway outside the board room where Fuller thanked them for their support.
“You showed up and waited all day, and you didn’t have to. I thank you very much,” he said.
Coaches and supporters gave him hugs as board members walked through the crowd to leave.
Neither Houchin nor Coburn would comment on why the item was brought back up for discussion and action and why it was placed on a special meeting agenda rather than Monday’s regular meeting. Coburn also would not confirm or deny the information in Wren’s letter that it was Houchin who instructed him to reassign Fuller, which led to the process of calling the special meeting.
“Our focus from this moment forward is taking care of our kids and getting them prepared for success on and off the field and in life after they graduate, and I know everybody is going to be focused on that, starting right now,” Coburn said after the meeting.
During seven years at Decatur, Fuller’s teams were 58-30 (.659). The Eagles made the postseason each year and advanced to the 2018 4A Division I semifinal.
Also for most of his tenure as athletic director, Decatur was among the finalists for the UIL Lone Star Cup. This year, Decatur is tied for 14th in 4A. In ’19, Decatur was 5th, 6th in ’20, 15th in ’16, 8th in ’15.
Decatur captured three state titles in volleyball and multiple team cross country crowns and reached the state tournament in boys basketball, softball and boys golf. Every high school team has reached the playoffs. Individuals have also advanced to state in track and swimming.
Coburn said after the meeting an interim coach would be named shortly. A permanent coach will likely not be named until after the upcoming football season.
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