Remember when Carlos Moore sued the Rankin County School District a couple of years ago because a teacher allegedly made a "hanging" comment to a student? Well, the case quietly disappeared in January.
JJ reported in October 2017:
Parents of a Northwest Rankin High School student sued the Rankin County School District and a substitute teacher in U.S. District Court for alleged racial comments made in a classroom. They are represented by none other than attorney Carlos Moore. The Lindseys alleged:
10. On or about April 7, 2017, Plaintiff T.L. was being harassed by a white classmate in the presence of his substitute teacher, Ms. “Jane” Pinnix. T.L. instructed this white student to “back off or he would lay him out.” After T.L.’s comment, Ms. Pinnix got involved and told the white student to “let T.L. hit him so that they could hang him.”
11. Subsequent to the incident, T.L.’s parents, Plaintiffs Tony and Kayla, were contacted by 11th grade Principal, Mr. Keith Fennell, who confirmed the comments made by Ms. Pinnix and informed the parents that the entire incident was caught on video surveillance. Mr. Fennell further informed the parents that Ms. Pinnix had been suspended for a mere 2 days, but she was allowed to return to work thereafter.
The Lindseys claim that the teacher's actions violated the Mississippi Tort Claims Act. The complaint also charges that the Rankin County School District was negligent in supervising the classroom and training substitute teachers. The parents claim their son suffers "from emotional problems and anxiety" due to the intentional infliction of emotion distress. The defendants also stand accused of violating the student's civil rights under Section 1983 (Title 42) of the U.S. Code.
Rankin County didn't turn the other cheek but defended itself:
This matter was investigated, discussed with parents, and resolved the week of April 7, 2017. The allegations in this case were taken out of context for the purpose of gain. We will defend this meritless case vigorously.
Keep in mind, the student's mother is a con artist. Literally. She was serving time in federal prison when the complaint was filed:
Kayla Paul Lindsey, 48, of Rankin County, Mississippi, entered a guilty plea today in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to make false statements to defraud the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Harold Brittain. (KF: Earlier in 2017)
Lindsey is a former Certified Public Accountant who has been practicing in the Jackson area. Her co-conspirator, Marlene Solomon Williams, also of Rankin County, previously entered a guilty plea to the conspiracy charge and is awaiting sentencing.
The investigation in this case revealed that Lindsey and Williams administered a grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas that was intended to provide home repairs for low- to moderate-income households. In pleading guilty, Lindsey and Williams admitted they hired contractors to perform repairs under the grant, and instructed the contractors to inflate their invoices by 20%, which was kicked back to Lindsey and Williams. The fraudulently inflated invoices were submitted to the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas through its local member institution, Trustmark Bank. Lindsey and Williams were paid over $186,000 in kickbacks generated by the fraudulent invoices during the course of the conspiracy.
The District said the teacher in question used the phrase "hang him out to dry" in a motion for summary judgement. The District stated:
This case arises out of the use of the word “hang,” intended as part of the longer expression “hang
him out to dry.” According to the Lindsays, who filed this lawsuit on behalf of their son T.L., the use of that word means that RCSD violated the Mississippi Tort Claims Act...
On April 5th, T.L. was talking during Personal Finance. Exhibit 2, p. 55. Another student, L.A.
told T.L. to be quiet. T.L. threatened to hit L.A. According to T.L., L.A. had shown him “blatant disrespect” by “trying to take up for the teacher….” L.A. asked Ms. Pinnix if he could defend himself if T.L. hit him. According to Ms. Pinnix, she answered: “No. If he comes over here and does anything, we will
hang….”
According to T.L., she said “If he touches you, we’ll hang him.” At this point, a young woman in the class told Ms. Pinnix that she can’t “[s]ay the word ‘hang.’” Ms. Pinnix realized she hadn’t finished her statement and understood that what she said could be misinterpreted; she then explained to the class she meant to say “we will hang him out to dry.
The substitute teacher retired from the Rankin County School District after thirty years of service as a teacher. Her record was completely clean as there were no complaints filed against her during her full-time employment. She was employed by Kelly Services as a part-time substitute teacher.
Kelly Services settled the lawsuit with the Lindseys. However, the Lindseys filed a motion to dismiss the case with prejudice. The motion does not mention a settlement. It merely says both sides will pay their own attorney's fees. One suspects that if Mr. Moore had settled the case with a district, he would've made a beeline for the cameras. Instead, there is...... silence.
The Rankin County School Board did not vote to approve a settlement.
16 comments:
Honestly Carlos is a complete moron. It was likely a case no other lawyer would want to deal with. He's a horrible horrible horrible lawyer.
KF, you do a great job of reporting on stories that other news outlets won't or refuse to touch (e.g., the Sheldon Alston Jr. stories). However, Carlos the Clown is not very newsworthy anymore. Your continuing to bring him up in this blog gives him more notoriety than he deserves. Let him evaporate into thin air - his actions will eventually end his reputation and his career.
Certain of our more eastern states are notorious for their shameless ambulance chasers and scum bag lawyers always on the hustle. Some specialize in whiplash some in the "slip and fall". They do not concern themselves with failure or legitimacy, only publicity and the quick buck. Since sometime in the 80's there is a new specialty, "race based torts". Most lawyers are scrupulous about making these charges, others with the hustlers heart have no such scruples. Carlos wants to corner the fertile Mississippi market so he won't turn down much. He has the hustlers heart and no shame. If he were a good lawyer he might be dangerous.
Race pimps
I had miss Pinnix as a history teacher way back in the day. She's a great teacher and person. Just an old cowgirl that was teaching to pay the bills (I'm guessing). It's a shame that now a days kids get their fake feelings hurt by everything. We need more teachers and people like Mrs. Pinnix.
Might as well just renmame this little hate blog KKKingfish because there is nothing but racism posted here. Shame on all you. Go visit the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and cure your sickness.
August 16, 2019 at 10:18 AM = Another coward who wants to control free speech
Everything you purchase or do cost more money because of attorney's like this.
A law license, improperly used, is a license to extort money from companies who don't have the money for a lengthy court battler or don't want their reputation tarnished by false accusations.
Wow, such a minor incident. I would think Mom being in prison would be much harder to bear than a comment in a classroom after the student threatened another kid. Where did the girl student learn you cannot say the word 'hang' and inject this into the incident? Is that true, cannot say hang?
@10:18
Your a troll... a racist calling others a racist... sick bastard.
@10:58
I can assure you that I am in a safe enough position on the victim ladder that no claim of racism can be leveled against me.
10:18 or 11:50? Beating people over the head with the racism stick every time you encounter an opposite opinion will not get you off the victim ladder, that is, if you really want to get off. Some opinions opposite yours have their basis in other factors not merely race. Try to look beyond and look within. This particular subject has to do with a hustler and a scum bag who would be that regardless of his race. That observation does not make the observer racist. Read more carefully.
Yeah, Con artist files a lawsuit after her punk son threatens another student. Attorney grandstands and has a meltdown in front of the cameras yet again. Lawsuit quietly disappears. Yet you know who is the racist for coming back to the see how the story turned out after the media got its headlines.
Shakespeare was right.
I wonder if the case was really dismissed due failure to follow the necessary procedures and meet the deadlines under the Mississippi Tort Claims Act prior to filing suit? They are quite technical. A lot of attorneys won’t even take those cases because of the risk of exposure for legal negligence.
"Should've picked our own cotton"...
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