Neches ISD files suit against Texas AG

Jun. 24—Neches Independent School District has filed a lawsuit agains Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to overturn a records request pertaining to NISD Elementary Principal Kimberlyn Snider.

According to Kaitlin Scroggins, the school district refused to release information to her with regard to Snider after she requested it under the Freedom of Information Act.

Scroggins then challenged the school's refusal through the AG's office. Scroggins said that the AG's office told the school they were allowed to redact or withhold all information that could possibly identify a victim in another case and personal information about Snider, i.e. driver's license number, but had to release the information otherwise.

Neches ISD refused and is now challenging the AG's ruling on the open records through the judicial system. The lawsuit was filed in Travis County.

Scoggins is a parent and a representative for the community group Change for Neches. She is also a local radio personality known as Kat Powers.

No court hearings have been scheduled with regard to this case.

Snider was indicted by a grand jury in January on charges of tampering/fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair, a third degree felony and five counts of official oppression.

Snider turned herself into the Anderson County Sheriff's Office Tuesday, Feb. 2.

Despite the indictment and subsequent arrest, the Neches Board of Trustees voted Monday, Feb. 22 to extend Snider's contract, after her husband, Superintendent Randy Snider decided to retain his wife as elementary principal.

Snider is currently under review by the Texas Education Agency.

The TEA reported there were 33 complaints against Snider since Jan. 1 and that she's under review by the agency's Educator Investigation Division.

A pre-trial hearing in the case against Neches Elementary Principal Kimberlyn Snider for tampering/fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair and official oppression was held Friday, May 28 at the Anderson County Courthouse.

During the hearing, Snider's attorney filed a motion to throw out the indictment based on incorrect language. This is a common pre-trial procedure. A hearing with regard to this procedural motion will be 9 a.m. Friday, June 25.

If the judge throws out the indictment, District Attorney Allyson Mitchell will be required to take the case back to the grand jury.

The Neches Independent School District accepted the retirement letter of Randy as superintendent on Monday, May 17. Snider's retirement will be effective June 30.