'Not about helicopter parents': Texas moms sue school district accusing superintendent of changing grades, canceling graduation

Inset: Darryl Henson (Marlin Independent School District) Background: Brandolyn Jones (Screengrab via Fox News/KWKT).

Mothers of high schoolers in a Texas district are waging a legal battle against a school superintendent they say unfairly changed their kids’ grades, and then retaliated against them for speaking up.

Mothers Monica Johnson and Brandolyn Jones alleged that Marlin Independent School District Superintendent Darryl Henson unfairly and inaccurately changed their children’s grades. Johnson’s daughter Me’Kia Mouling, now a student at Texas A&M University, was the 2023 valedictorian at Marlin High School. Johnson reportedly said Henson “recalculated” Me’Kia’s grades to move her to the third-ranking student before ultimately changing those grades back, only to have Me’Kia tied with another student for first place.

Jones said that the same year, her two children’s grades were improperly and inaccurately lowered — and that one grade was even changed to reflect a different teacher who was deceased at the time. Further, both parents say the school’s high school graduation ceremony was canceled as a retaliation for their speaking out.

In a recent filing , the mothers told the court that their case, “is not about helicopter parents or students who felt they were entitled to a grade they did not earn,” but rather, that, “it involves the repeated misconduct of Defendant Marlin Independent School District Superintendent Darryl Henson.”

The mothers first sued the district and its superintendent in April and alleged that the actions taken against their students were a way for the district to retaliate against them for speaking out at school board meetings.

Per the complaint:

In the wake of the National School Boards Association labeling parents speaking at school board meetings as “domestic terrorists,” school districts across the State of Texas have increasingly acted with impunity to deprive parents of their constitutional rights and suppress free speech that they do not like. In fact, school district attorneys are providing training presentations for other lawyers that instruct them that one way to deal with “big mad” parents is to issue them a criminal trespass warning barring them from entering district property.

In early July, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Manske reported findings about the pleadings in the case. Manske wrote that plaintiffs adequately pleaded federal civil rights, conspiracy, and educational claims as well as a claim for punitive damages, though he recommended dismissal of state tort claims. He noted the plaintiffs’ allegations that the students’ grades in question were indeed changed, that Me’Kia’s class rank was changed from first to third place and that Jones’ son A.J.’s final report card was changed from a B to an F and the name of the science teacher was changed to the name of a teacher who had died several months earlier.

Further, Manske’s report said:

A.J. had been allowed to compete in athletics indicating that he had not earned a failing grade, and that the grade was changed retroactively. A.J. is protected under a Section 504 Plan for disabilities which means he should have been entitled to procedural protections including a 504 meeting for his parents if he was failing a class. With the grade change, he has lost a science credit which takes him off track from graduating with a Distinguished High School Diploma and will affect his ability to receive scholarships. He is also no longer on track to graduate with his current class.

The report also said that the plaintiffs alleged that when they attempted to make a public information request, they were told it would cost over $8,000 to get their children’s educational records.

It also noted allegations related to Henson’s behavior, such as communicating with students via text message and encouraging them to call him “daddy.”

Further, the report noted that the plaintiffs alleged: “Henson made derogatory references to Brandolyn’s character and physical appearance calling her a liar and that she was ‘as wide as all outside,’ he was, ‘surprised there is a belt big enough,’ and ‘come on y’all, you know that lady is big.'”

Manske concluded that the plaintiffs sufficiently met their burden of pleading the federal claims.

The school district and superintendent filed an objection with the court on July 15 arguing that plaintiffs’ “hodgepodge of allegations” should be dismissed.

Then, on July 28, a few days after a news story about the case aired, the school district issued a lengthy press release in which it denied wrongdoing.

“The claims and accusations targeted at Marlin Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Darryl J. Henson since May 2023 are without merit and devoid of any supporting documentation and evidence,” the statement began. The district said the news story aired by KXXV provided only an unbalanced view of the case and that neither mother involved presented any evidence to dispute the district’s decisions regarding their children.

“It is important to note that neither Ms. Johnson or Mrs. Jones has presented any evidence or documentation to the district or media to substantiate their allegations that Dr. Henson changed, influenced, or manipulated grades, GPAs, or class ranks during or after the 2022-2023 school year,” the statement read.

The statement went on to call attention to the plaintiffs’ “defamatory statements” and say that the district “is compelled to provide factual information on behalf of our students, staff, and community.” It then listed detailed information about grading policies relevant to Me’Kia Mouling’s grades.

On July 29, the plaintiffs responded to that objection with another account of their allegations and an accusation that the district has “consistently move[d] the goalposts of their arguments to avoid any responsibility for their actions.”

In an email Thursday, plaintiffs’ attorney Janelle Davis said that her clients are seeking accountability for the district’s retaliation against them for speaking out about the cancellation of the 2023 graduation.

“Once they and their children asked questions and challenged Dr. Henson’s decision to cancel graduation, they experienced a series of retaliatory events including removal from public meetings, being criminally trespassed from Marlin ISD property, their students’ grades and class ranks being changed, and being threatened with defamation lawsuits,” Davis said. “Parents and their children should be able to exercise their First Amendment rights without fear of retaliation. The U.S. Constitution guarantees them that right.”

Law&Crime received the following statement via email from Darryl Henson Thursday:

Monica Johnson and Brandolyn Jones have yet to provide the district, media, or public with any evidence, documentation, or legally sound argument to substantiate their claims made against me nor challenge any action taken by the district. Despite public assertions of possessing this supporting documentation, neither parent has submitted these materials to the district for review. Given their claims of evidence that would challenge district actions, which are fully aligned with school board policy, it’s puzzling why they haven’t shared this “new” information, particularly if it would benefit their child. To maintain compliance with student privacy laws, neither the district nor I can comment on matters not publicly disclosed. However, I urge the public to examine our district’s July 28, 2024 press release and its linked resources for a comprehensive rebuttal of all claims and clear demonstration of our commitment to transparency, policy adherence, and open communication.

Editor’s note: This piece was updated from its original version to include comment from Henson.

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