Published: December 19, 2007 11:21 pm            

Watts: Incident at WO-CCISD administration office overexaggerated

Houston attorney Larry Watts said Monday’s incident at the West Orange-Cove Consolidated Independent School District administration office was an overexaggeration of what actually occurred.

Orange police officers were called to the administration building Monday morning in response to a 911 call placed by an employee when Watts and Jason Thigpen, a civil process server in Orange County, attempted to serve legal papers to Dr. O. Taylor Collins, West Orange-Cove CISD superintendent, who was in a meeting behind closed doors with Margaret Duchamp, executive director of human resources for the school district.

According to police reports and witness statements, Watts attempted to enter into Collins’ office despite being asked to schedule an appointment or wait until the meeting was over.

“I never crossed the threshold,” Watts said. “I reached down to open the door and Margaret Duchamp launched out of her chair toward the door. She hit the door like she was trying to close it. I never grabbed her or held her.”

According to an affidavit, Thigpen stated that he walked past Watts and into Collins’ office when “an older woman jumped out of a chair in front of Dr. Collins’ desk and ran at Mr. Watts, who was still in the doorway, and started pushing on the door against him.”

Thigpen’s statement continues, “Mr. Watts stepped back and she started hitting and pushing at him with her hands. He put his hands up in a defensive way, and I moved around Mr. Watts’ right, into the office toward Dr. Collins.”

Watts said he would never do such a thing, plus having had two heart surgeries, was only attempting to keep from being hit in the chest.

“I yelled at Mr. Thigpen to just serve Dr. Collins the papers and let’s go,” Watts said. “It’s against the law to obstruct the service process. I’ve never been so shocked in all my life.”

The papers being served to Collins, as head of the West Orange-Cove school district, are for a temporary injunction to a hearing on Dec. 31 in the 128th District Court of Judge Pat Clark on a matter dealing with Jamie Wilson, a administrator at Anderson Elementary, who has been placed on administrative leave with pay.

Watts said he is seeking a temporary restraining order to “restrain these people from taking any action pertaining to Jamie Wilson” on matters which date back as early as March of this year.

Watts said he is also requesting a temporary mandating injunction to have Wilson reinstated immediately.

A motion to discuss Wilson’s contract for non-renewal with the school district was included on the Nov. 26 school board agenda, but was tabled until a later date. Wilson has been on administrative leave since mid-November.

“I’m very good at what I do,” Wilson said in a telephone interview. “This is affecting my life and my family, and I want to go back to work. I like my job and I want to be there.”

Watts said he would like to see the district be more willing to discuss and resolve the matter but is not expecting that to happen.

“I’m hopeful the judge will slow this process down,” Watts said. “The district has no leadership on the school board or in the superintendent’s office. I have never seen a less upfront, more calculating administration in my life.”



Reach this reporter at 409-883-3571, Ext. 2619 or tmann@orangeleader.com

        

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