INTRODUCTION

Summer 2025: I uncovered a very unexpected, shocking, and clear-cut case of nepotism and unethical cover-up within the TISD. In trying to report the incident to the appropriate person, I was subjected to obstruction of justice via "overkill" intimidation/retaliation. In other words, I was attacked and silenced for being a whistleblower, as well as, being threatened should I try to directly contact District staff to report what had occurred.

My petition includes only verifiable facts, firsthand statements, and conclusions which can be drawn based on simple logic, but no intended defamatory statements of any kind. Names of employees referenced herein have been gathered from freely available public documents, org charts, employee directories, and other information regarding public sector school and other district employees and thus do not constitute the revelation of any personal information or "doxxing" of any kind.

It's a little bit lengthy but a relatively quick (and perhaps even entertaining) read.

 

THE JOB I DESPERATELY NEEDED, DESERVED (and should have won)

Nov. 19, 2024: As a long-term, dedicated, and highly qualified swim, martial arts, and general fitness instructor (with years of prior aquatics experience, expertise, and numerous ARC and other certifications), I applied for a simple, PT coaching position for which I’m overwhelmingly a “perfect fit”, posted as follows:

"Part time Swim Instructor" with the Texarkana Independent School District (TISD)" at: txkisd.schoolspring.com

The JD includes the following written REQUIREMENTS (with critical words emphasized by me):

“Provide instruction and assist coach to develop students’ skills and ability to excel in sport assigned.
Provide minor first aid care and procedures … Must be certified in CPR, first aid and AED …
General knowledge of [swimming] coaching techniques and procedures …
At least two years [sic] experience as an instructor or participant in sport assigned … [emphasis mine].
Preferred one year experience in a health-related position …"

Based on this, you’re supposed to have a background in teaching/coaching swimming in order to correct and improve swimmers’ performance. You’re not going to be of any help if your athletic background is in, for example … soccer.

I have all of those reqs in abundance with 12+ years of professional experience in aquatics training, teaching, and improving athletes. I even have the one year in a health-related position (from prior work at a hospital). My qualifications should have led to a quick "You're hired! When can you start?" moment (which I desperately needed/need from being out of fulltime work for more than 3 years!). The outcome only highlights the grossly unjust misconduct I suffered and the favoritism displayed for an unqualified applicant.

Nov. 2024 to May 2025: I continued checking status. The school year had already begun and the role remained “active” (not filled/closed), yet oddly there was no followup.

June 2025: I determined either the application process wasn't working or something else was going on, It took some time, but I was able to research the correct hiring manager and how to contact them (at the leased pool where he coaches his private swim team).

July 11, 2025: I proactively reached out to Eric Vogan (Head Swim/Dive Coach for TISD) who expressed avid interest in receiving my resume, certs, etc. I emailed them. When we next spoke, Vogan seemed highly confused and concerned why he'd never been presented with my profile. Vogan confirmed he would've had strong interest in meeting and interviewing me as, in his words, "You're by far the stronger candidate" and he revealed there'd been only one other "candidate" (who'd apparently applied long after I did).

 

WHAT HAPPENED (why wasn't I hired ... or even interviewed)?

Feb. 2025 (~3 months after I'd applied): Adam Sesler pretty much walked in and announced more or less, "Hi, I'm your new Asst. Swim Coach". There’d been no prior meeting, no resume/application review, no interview, no background check, etc. performed by Mr. Vogan or his superior--Exec. Director of Athletics, Gerry Stanford. Vogan said he and Stanford would've normally been heavily involved and had full discretion over such a placement. Vogan added, while Mr. Sesler wasn't qualified for the role, he freed up Vogan's time to coach by handling other tasks (e.g., riding with swimmers on the bus to meets, watching kids in the changing rooms).

Think about that. I could’ve thrived and excelled in the role, actually fulfilling all of its stated purpose, needs, and goals. Instead, it was taken by someone with no background in the “… sport assigned”. This person was (and is being) allowed to enjoy income I sorely need in yet another example of someone “occupying” a good job they don’t deserve while deriving financial and other benefits … because of “who you know”. How could this be?!? Well, Mr. Sesler having the job wasn't even the worst part.

 

THE CRIME

Mr. Vogan revealed Mr. Sesler was directly related to an HR Coordinator for TISD, Erika Sesler. In fact, Adam is Erika’s son and, by my understanding, he still lives at home with her. Btw, I really don't care about their living arrangements, but he's obviously not in dire need of income to support himself as I am.

In fairness, it's unknown at this time who/whom colluded in hiding/suppressing my application and demonstrating an obvious conflict of interest in "appointing" Mr. Sesler to the job with no impediment (i.e., as a "favor" to the Sesler's). Nonetheless, whether Ms. Sesler worked alone or in collaboration with other HR personnel, NEPOTISM was committed by inappropriately, summarily taking a much-needed opportunity out of my grasp and "giving" it away to a relative. The crime isn’t that I wasn’t given the job but that I wasn’t allowed to fairly compete for it. Instead of objective, unbiased meritocracy, these people engaged in highly subjective, blatant cronyism.

Legally, nepotism can occur in private sector jobs (e.g., parents hiring their kids as waitstaff for a family restaurant). However, nepotism IS against the law for government and other Public Sector jobs. Like all public schools in the State of Texas (and the U.S.A. in general), TISD's schools are gov/public entities which exist and function solely via taxpayer funds and are properly classified as Public Sector. This is why, if you apply for any gov job, the application process includes multiple questions asking if you're related to anyone at the agency or department.

Refer to:

https://dictionary.thelaw.com/nepotism/

https://legalclarity.org/when-is-nepotism-considered-a-crime/

 

Clearly, illegal and unethical hiring practices occurred. I have superior qualifications, yet my profile had been "sat on" by one or more HR personnel and never presented to the key decision-makers. Mr. Sesler was arbitrarily GIVEN the job by his mommy and/or her sympathetic HR “buddies” who have not been officially endowed by TISD with authority to summarily appoint employees in such a manner.

Not only was the job unfairly “bestowed” on someone who (according to the hiring manager in question) lacks the necessary qualifications, safety training, and required background/experience (which the written JD and role demanded) … not only were the Head Coach and Director of Athletics purposefully cut out of the selection process (thus disrespected and not allowed to make their own choices) ... but I was cheated out of sorely needed income (both during the 8 prior months and for all subsequent months/years that I could have enjoyed a decent PT job in a field from which I’ve always derived an immense sense of purpose and well-being).

Mr. Vogan at first promised to "look into the matter" yet, a few days later, lamented that his "hands are tied" and seemed to fear for his own occupation if he were to press the issue; in his words, "He [Sesler] is here to stay until he decides to leave". Wow! Name me any other job where a person can just decide to stay if they want, without fear of ever losing it, for however long they feel like it! Hmmm, a job with built-in protection from above, leverage over coworkers, security (recession and termination proof), and perhaps even some proverbial “juice”? An under-the-table MOB deal couldn’t offer anyone anything better.

 

THE COVERUP (biased suppression of truth, "CYA", and retaliation)

Aug. 2025: I tried to report this blatant act of nepotism and misconduct to the relevant TISD Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Doug Brubaker, via telephone. I reached his Admin. Asst., Gayle Hale, who said Dr. Brubaker was "out of town" and brought the Deputy Supt., Sherri Penix, into the room to listen as I calmly, professionally related the aforementioned facts and my concern that improper hiring practices were occurring at TISD. At first, these personnel seemed to disapprove of the misconduct (saying they'd "investigate") and I should expect a return call from Ms. Penix within a day or two. Instead, I encountered dishonest tactics, manipulative verbal commentary (i.e., tricking me into revealing key details while they pretended to be concerned), verbal hostility, blocking my attempts to contact the appropriate personnel, and worst of all, false allegations (to silence me and prevent the truth from being known). 

To my dismay, Ms. Hale was the only one who called me back and, with no context or explanation, began trying to divert me to speak with their "legal department", not explaining why, and rudely talking "on top of me", cutting me off, and hanging up over and over and over as I tried to ask, "Why do you want me to talk to them?" (i.e., properly qualify the purpose of speaking to their attorney). These personnel (charged with professional, ethical, and legal responsibility to convey the misconduct to Dr. Brubaker or others so the guilty parties can face consequences) quickly jumped to "damage control" mode despite the fact I never threatened any action or made demands of any kind.

Up to this exact point, I'd spoken with no one at the school/district other than Mr. Vogan, Ms. Hale, and Ms. Penix and had made no additional telephone calls. I thought and still believe I was doing the right thing and "going through channels" to report clear misconduct to the appropriate person, Dr. Brubaker. Also in fairness, it's possible my messages were never delivered to Dr. Brubaker (since executive Admin's routinely access/control their direct reports' emails, voicemails, etc. and can “memory hole” anything that’d be bad for them), but he has never responded to my concerns. Surely, Dr. Brubaker should have been informed (even if after the fact) and asking his staff, "What happened while I was away? Why is this guy upset?" ... right?

After all, nothing happened to anyone at the school/district. I'M the one who suffered Ms. Hale's verbal hostility and obstruction of subsequent, lawful attempts to contact appropriate personnel (including the athletics staff whom could corroborate the incident to Dr. Brubaker), and then vicious "lawfare".

 

"LAWFARE" (always in the nick of time to block consequences for wrongdoers with resources)

I nearly immediately received an absurd email/letter from their attorney, Ross Mitchell, replete with false statements. Apparently, Dr. Brubaker's staff deliberately misconstrued the facts and timeline of events in order to defame me as some kind of "nutjob" to achieve their desired results. For example, it was Ms. Hale who kept hanging up on me (while I was asking valid questions and confused by the abrupt "circle the wagons" response), yet that detail was twisted upside-down to Mr. Mitchell as if I was hanging up on them (which is goofy considering the fact you generally hang up on someone when they call you, not the other way around).

Of course, there was the obligatory weak tactic of someone making sure to mouth the magic words, “I feel scared" in order to gaslight that the actual victim is the aggressor. Of course, I was threatened that I can’t even peacefully, lawfully visit “District facilities” to officially report the misconduct to the appropriate personnel. Mr. Mitchell concluded his letter, “If you have additional need to speak with me, my contact information can be found above”. I tried to talk to him several times in order to set the records straight, yet he also declined to hear the truth rather than hearsay from personnel who quickly scurried into the dark rather than face consequences for their actions.

Despite having made zero threats (not even legal action, lawsuit, etc.) or verbal hostility of any kind, I’m barred from visiting the campus so I can’t attend a Board of Directors meeting, PTA meeting, etc. to publically report and discuss their employees’ misconduct, despite the fact it’s obviously pervasive and corrupting our PUBLIC schools’ hiring practices. So let’s call that what it is--suppression, intimidation, lawfare, and OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE. No, you simply cannot sic attorneys on a whistleblower to censor, scare, and silence them. It’s wrong in every sense of the word. You don’t fix one mistake by making more; and you damn sure don’t attack someone you already victimized in order to shut them up. When someone has been wronged, they have the right to say it loud and proud for everyone to hear.

 

THE END RESULTS (economic hardship, stress, depression, and compounded victimization)

Due to these actions, I lost (now) a full year of critical income (for a job I was sure to win if not for the cheating). This has had a significant impact on my livelihood; and I can’t even apply to other jobs in the district which has “acquired” nearly every campus in the greater surrounding area, nearly all of Bowie County!

The RIGHT thing to do … what SHOULD have happened … is that the guilty person(s) within TISD’s HR Department should have been immediately terminated for misconduct (essentially, for breaking labor law), the guy “appointed” to the role in question should have been immediately removed (if for no other reason than he should have never been considered for it anyway, clearly not being qualified based on the written reqs, and especially in such an outrageous hiring method), and the entire staff should be warned to never again engage in such illegal hiring practices which jeopardizes the entire district and every school within it. THAT is how you create justice--by actually reversing wrongs.

 

THE EVER-SPREADING POISON (what happens when you set a very low bar for society)

It’s not an isolated incident. In rural areas such as Texarkana, the “good old boys network”, certain families’ community history and connections, nepotism, etc. are routine modes of hiring and advancement while scores of highly qualified people are blocked in their attempts to achieve well deserved success and suffer in poverty. TISD also believes in hiring “who you know” far ahead of who’s the best qualified for the job. You want more examples? Just browse through TISD’s directory and note how many employees share the same last names:

https://www.txkisd.net/directory/

 

Based on confidential information from an extremely reliable, high level source on the TISD school board itself, there are alarming patterns of behavior within TISD which require immediate action. That gentleman’s discreet words to me: “I’ve seen it a hundred times. You can’t fight this alone” and he intimated prior instances of retaliation against anyone who tries to fight the system. Imagine being at his level of oversight yet still fearful to speak out, “rock the boat”, or fight the system!

There is a well-documented, long term, historical pattern of school district employees across the State of Texas (and elsewhere) engaging in nepotism, circumventing established safe hiring practices for family and friends, conspiring to cover up misconduct, and retaliating against those who dare to speak out or report the incidents. Just like in hospitals, there’s a concerted effort to cover up mistakes and avoid malpractice; but it’s often the severe insult of covering it up that actually CAUSES lawsuits. If doctors, lawyers, cops, and even teachers and administrators would learn how to swallow their pride and simply OWN when they make mistakes and take meaningful steps to correct them, a lot of ill will would be averted.

Such behavior is not only unethical but erodes the integrity and trust placed in public institutions such as the TISD. No employee or even tax payer should fear retaliation for speaking the truth, and no job applicant should be deprived of opportunities they’d surely win if not for unethical practices. Not to mention, if you’re hiring based on affiliation, it’s far too easy for the wrong person to bypass safeguards and be where they shouldn’t … around our kids.

 

THE ASK ~

In conclusion, based on their respective acts, involvement, and complicity in the illegal hiring practices, as well as, the cover-up, intimidation, retaliation, and suppression of the truth, I ask you to join me in demanding the immediate resignation of the following personnel without possibility of future hire, reinstatement, or appointment and with no continued pay, salary, or pension of any kind at the expense of taxpayers’ funds:

Erika Sesler, Adam Sesler, Gayle Hale, Sherri Penix, and any other HR or other personnel involved in any way, to any degree, in these unethical hiring, promotion, and other unfair employment practices.

In fairness, it should be determined if information regarding these matters was properly conveyed to Dr. Doug Brubaker in a timely manner, or if that information was suppressed by his support staff, and/or if he received the information and thereafter participated in covering up the misconduct of his subordinates rather than correct the situation as it deserved.

Furthermore, we call for an independent investigation into the overall hiring practices of TISD, and necessary reform thereof if necessary, to ensure transparency, fairness, and integrity in all future hiring and operational processes. 

Join me in demanding an end to this injustice and a restoration of ethical standards at TISD. Sign this petition to show your support and call for accountability in all our educational institutions regardless of setting, size, geographic location, or other cultural factors allowing this kind of “soft crime” to not only happen … but apparently to flourish. Thank you for your support!