DISD Superintendent Mike Miles released the statement below regarding reports related to an investigation of Miles.
DALLAS–First, I want to say that this incomplete report should not be in the public domain.  In my mind, that’s unfair to Rebecca Rodriguez, members of her former staff and everyone who has been interviewed so far; each person believed that his/her statements would be confidential and protected until a full review had been completed and a conclusion reached.  That’s what the Office of Professional Responsibility assures every employee or associate when a complaint is filed.
Second, my statement speaks for itself.  It is my responsibility to make the final determination on procurement recommendations to the Board of Trustees.  The committee makes a recommendation that is supposed to be determined on specific guidelines, and my responsibility and duty is to assure that we hire the vendor or vendors who will serve our children best and who can present the best business deal for the taxpayers.Â
Third, as my response reflects, after discussion with our legal department, I considered a suspension of the OPR investigation for a short time because we were in negotiations with the former employee, and those negotiations would likely include confidentiality agreements.  The request was, in effect, a “stand-down” move while the attorneys determined if an OPR public report would violate the terms of the non-disparage agreement. I asked for the restart of the investigation, and I recommended the Board President consider an outside review and final conclusion of the matter.
In summary, the RFP process and vote delay was absolutely correct and the final decision on a vendor or vendors must be made on the basis of, “What’s best for the children and the taxpayers?”  Second, the OPR investigation was briefly halted when negotiations on Ms. Rodriguez’s employment were underway.  They were then restarted, at my request.  Third, I would ask all involved to respect the rights of any person or persons involved in an OPR examination.  Confidential information should remain confidential in order to protect people who work for the district or do business with the district.
