In the February meeting of the Port Arthur Independent School District Board of Trustees, the board voted to approve the payment of $22,482.50 in legal fees.

$1,402.50 was paid to Buechler & Associates, P.C. for legal services rendered from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31, 2016; and $21,080 was paid to Wells, Peyton, Greenberg & Hunt LLP for services rendered from Jan. 1 through Jan. 31, 2017.

It was not the first time the board has approved payment of substantial legal fees.

In the January meeting, the PAISD Board approved payment of $34,655.69 in legal fees. $34,405.69 of that was paid to Wells, Peyton, Greenberg & Hunt LLP.

$36,042.96 in legal fees was approved for payment in the December meeting, where Wells, Peyton, Greenberg & Hunt LLP received payment of $35,136.26 for services rendered from Nov. 1 through Nov. 30.

Some of the services are routine. For example, the district was billed $100 for a 30-minute e-mail exchange with their attorneys. However, quite a bit of the fees are the apparent result of a raft of litigation facing the district. The litigation includes complaints from a terminated cafeteria worker and an issue arising from improper staff conduct.

It is not at all clear how much litigation the district is facing or the details of the claims because no one from the district would answer questions about the legal fees.

Board President Kenneth Lofton Sr. directed questions to the attorney for PAISD, Melody Chappell. Chappell said the News would need to make a formal request for information through the school district for an itemized list of legal fees.

PAISD Superintendent Dr. Mark Porterie declined to comment on the legal expenses at this time, but said he would discuss the fees next month.

However, an itemized list of at least some of PAISD’s legal expenses can be found on the school district’s website. For the board month of February, some of the more notable expenses charged by Wells, Peyton, Greenberg & Hunt LLP include the following:

• $500 on Jan. 18 for a telephone conference with administration regarding return of an employee; review agenda for regular board meeting; receipt and review of notice of meeting cancellation and receipt and review of new special meeting notice. Billed as two hours of work.
• $1,125 on Jan. 26 for a telephone conference with the administration; prepare for and attend regular board meeting. Billed as four and a half hours of work.
• $100 on Jan.23 for an attempt to call special education counsel again regarding details of mediation agreement; report to special ed director of call attempt and messages left for return call. Billed as a half hour of work.
• $50 on Jan. 31 for a telephone conference with the attorney general regarding return of mail with decision. Billed as 15 minutes of work.
• $400 on Jan. 11 to prepare for and attend a grievance hearing; conference with administration regarding the same; begin draft of decision; receipt and review of email with request for information; forward information. Billed as two hours of work.
• $50 on Jan. 4 for receipt and review of visa question regarding the expiration of a passport for an employee who had been fired for improper conduct. Billed as 15 minutes of work.
• $500 on Jan. 20 for telephone conference with administration regarding expanded investigation regarding inappropriate staff conduct; review board policy; preparation of four administrative leave notification letters; telephone conference with administration regarding notification changes; revisions to employee letter. Billed as two and a half hours of work. Service performed by Tanner T. Hunt of Wells, Peyton, Greenberg & Hunt LLP.
• $650 on Jan. 25 for complete research on notice necessary to the Department of Homeland Security for separating an employee with VISA and other matters relating to same. Billed as three hours and fifteen minutes of work.

Some documents also indicate legal issues facing the school district such as inappropriate staff conduct and issues with a foreign employee as DHS was contacted over the matter.