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.
The Rankin County School District issued this statement:
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.
All RCSD substitute teachers are employed by Kelly Services. Kelly Services has an excellent track record in providing quality substitute teachers. Any person on our campuses must have a background check prior to working around students.
Since our internal investigation revealed no wrong doing on the part of the sub, she has subbed twice within the district.The defendant substitute teacher taught as a regular teacher in the district for thirty years before she moved to substitute teacher status. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Tom Lee and Magistrate Robert Walker. The case is posted below.
JJ would like to interview Ms. Lindsey about the case but there is just one problem- Mrs. Lindsey is currently in prison for fraud. JJ posted this Justice Department press release earlier this year:
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.
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.
"Today’s guilty plea is evidence that those who choose to participate in fraudulent schemes in an effort to steal from grant programs intended to help homeowners will be brought to justice," said Special Agent in Charge Timothy Mowery with the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General. "The FHFA OIG, together with our law enforcement partners, will vigorously investigate allegations of fraud and will ensure that those who engage in such acts will be held accountable.
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| Source: Facebook |
She currently resides at the federal prison in Aliceville, Alabama. She reported to the prison on August 28 and is scheduled to be released on February 10, 2018. The indictment and sentencing order are posted below.
26 comments:
The girl need some help paying off that debt. I done run them numbers and if she don't git no help, it will take over 60 years to pay back what she stole.
Being a simple sleezebag ambulance chaser is enough for most young low-life lawyers, but there are thousands of them all over the country. Some do pretty well and ply their trade in relative obscurity. They all hope that sooner or later the "big one" is going to fall in their lap. But Carlos wants the fame and fortune that comes from specializing in race hustling. Even if your case is totally ridiculous you still make the news and your NAME becomes a household word. Shortcut to fame and fortune for even the most incompetent attorney. Sooner or later...
a slap in the face for the taxpayers and rule followers of America. Way to go Rankin County... $250/mth really. Hardly a penalty for stealing $186K. Maybe I can go the bank and get that 60 year loan tomorrow? What a joke!
And WAPT naively ran this story last night, complete with extended remarks by Carlos Moore. No probing questions, and only a passing nod to the school's response.
Rankin County? That was the feds who prosecuted her. Blame the Justice Department.
Carlos knows he can get the guppies @ WAPT to bite on anything he dangles when it comes to race.
Yeah... basically Carlos the clown is the only lawyer in area that would take this case. Honestly speaking he is as bad a lawyer as he is a quality individual... that's not saying much!
Great investigative reporting, KF!
I swear, every time Carlos Moore and Kenneth Stokes have an announcement/ pronouncement to make, the local television reporters come running to lap it up and give it unquestioning coverage. Surely they must recognize these two for the clowns and demagogues they are, yet they persist in providing fawning news coverage. And WAPT is the worst.
She done got her her done did.
The parents of the white student should file suit in federal court against the black kid for obvious civil rights violations in threatening to "lay him out". This is an obvious reference to terminology associated with laying out dead bodies on a slab subsequent to death. This apparent death threat probably resulted in severe mental trauma, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder, and severe bowel seizures. Such language harkens back to the days when the Irish were persecuted by the English and their was no legal protection for "Paddy" when the British decided to come calling. Such language has no place in a civilized society and those who think they can still threaten others with impunity are in for a rude awakening.
Consultations are free and if you can't come to me I'll be happy to come to you. One call that's all.
The parents who have filed a claim should withdraw it because they're teaching the kid a very bad lesson. The woman is in prison. Drop the case so some weasel attorney doesn't make bank and you don't teach your kid that there's a pot of gold available every time you get your feelings hurt.
So if the teacher was in the wrong, what does the parent's personal indiscretions from another autonomous incident have to do with them suing Rankin County School District? It's not like the made the teacher make the lewd comment to their child?
RCSD is culpable for having a bigot serve in that position? If she is not culturally sensitive or comfortable working with a diverse student body she should have never taken the position. They shouldn't have hired her based on her past actions.
"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."
Seems highly unlikely that a principal would confirm the alleged comments to the parents over the phone unless there exists clear evidence (such as audio of the comments that accompany the video footage) that Ms. Pinnix actually made those comments. Seems plausible that the principal would call and let the parents know there was video surveillance, but the rest seems far-fetched.
I'll be surprised if Fennell backs up this statement absent any concrete proof. Sounds like BS.
Of course, the question remains, given Mr. Moore's recent history of making up facts (the Tupelo memo) and representing clients who destroy evidence, whether the entire video has been presented or whether it is just a clip. In other words, did selective editing take place to enable a lawsuit? Two sanctions in a row will generate that kind of question.
@11:58 Lewd? R U JPS grad?
Complete bullshit. If the facts alleged in the lawsuit are true, and they probably aren't, the only thing the teacher did wrong was not stopping a possible fight. The statement was a simple metaphorical phrase that's used all the time and accepted by REASONABLE people to describe a self-inflicted debacle. An effort in federal court to make money off the unwarranted interpretation of a single phrase says much more about the jive-ass lawyer and the desperate money hungry plaintiff than about the teacher or the school district. There seems to be no foolishness beyond the reach of this "lawyer". Pitiful.
Agreed, Anon 1:21. Pitiful, just pitiful.
11:58, the fact that the mother has been convicted of fraud certainly has a negative impact her credibility and truthfulness. It shows that she's more than willing to lie and cheat. And as seen in the Tupelo case and the recent Belhaven case, Mr Moore and some of his other clients seem to have a hard time telling the truth too, and to the contrary, seem to rather enjoy making up their own set of facts, or maybe I should say allegations, without any supporting evidence or truth whatsoever.
@ October 13, 2017 at 12:43 PM
It was an honest misappropriation of words - no problem admitting it was misused.
But of course, you racist pigs have a snarky comment for everything regarding JPS
But for the record, I am not an alum of any public schools in Jackson, let alone any schools in Mississippi. (thank god for that!)
4:07, it is proper (and respectful) to capitalize any of the names used for the Supreme Being. And it's best to use those names sparingly and reverently.
If we say the Principle told us they had video evidence and then when court time comes their is none, Carlos will claim it was erased when in fact it never existed at all. Pay up whitey.
Whoever drafted the amended complaint must have cut class the day that they discussed sovereign immunity.
” 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.”
If that statement is the basis for racist remark that caused emotional distress and mental anxiety, is hung jury, coat hanger, hanging a picture or your hat, hung like a horse, etc., also going to be interpreted as racist remarks and the basis for future frivolous suits?
Since Stuart Kellogg retired, WAPT's news has become unwatchable. It is really bad.
"If we say the Principle told us they had video evidence and then when court time comes their is none...."
Here's the way we were taught to remember it in fourth grade, "The princiPAL is your pal!" We will discuss the difference in their and there later.
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