For the first time, we are hearing publicly from HISD’s former internal audit executive. Richard Patton said the district retaliated against him after he reported possible corruption by putting him on leave for five months during an investigation, just to bring him back for several weeks and then fire him by not renewing his contract.
The chief audit executive of the Houston Independent School District has sued his employer, claiming that he was unfairly suspended. According to the seven-page lawsuit filed by Richard Patton, he was suspended with pay for nearly five months after he went to the district’s police chief and the FBI to report several violations within the district. Patton claimed that his suspension was retaliation for those actions.
Houston’s school board removed its chief auditor after he reported potential violations of state law to police, shared information with the FBI and called out a board member for breaking competitive bidding rules, newly obtained documents and interviews show.
