Probable cause hearing upcoming
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Staff report
A hearing is scheduled Wednesday before Judge Bob Armstrong to determine if evidence is sufficient to present a case against a local educator and county commissioner.
Armstrong confirmed Monday the hearing will be held at 9 a.m. at the Dallas County Courthouse for county commissioner Curtis Williams.
Lee Cleveland, a former student of Williams&8217;, has filed a complaint alleging Williams harassed her.
Williams, the assistant principal of Southside High School has declined to talk about the issue and referred all questions to his attorney, who also has declined to talk about the case.
Cleveland alleges the harassment occurred recently on school grounds when she came to Williams seeking a copy of her transcript.
Investigators with the Dallas County Sheriff&8217;s Department turned their findings over to the district attorney&8217;s office.
Williams was indefinitely placed on paid administrative leave from his job as assistant principal shortly after Cleveland filed the complaint.
The Dallas County School Board is conducting a separate investigation. Superintendent Fannie Major-McKenzie did not give a timeline of when the investigation would end.
Williams is a candidate for re-election as District 3 commissioner. He faces a challenge from another Democrat, Darryl Moore.
Williams will continue to serve as commissioner, said Probate Judge Kim Ballard. The only thing that affects a commissioner or public official is a conviction of a felony, Ballard said.