Cedar Hill ISD board denies level‑3 grievance by athletic director Melanie Benjamin after hours of public comment

The Cedar Hill Independent School District Board of Trustees voted 6–1 to deny the level‑3 grievance filed by athletic director Melanie Benjamin following a closed‑session hearing, the board announced at 12:11 a.m. after the meeting. Trustee Carmen Morgan moved to deny the grievance; Trustee Dr. Chiquita Hayek seconded the motion. The board recorded six votes in favor and one opposed; Dr. Singleton was the sole recorded dissent.

The grievance hearing was conducted in closed session after the public‑comment portion of the meeting. Dozens of community members and current and former district employees used the allotted public comment slots to support Benjamin and to object to the district’s processing of her grievance. Several speakers asked the board to hear the grievance in open session; attorney Gianna Ortiz, who said she represented Benjamin, said, “Melanie Benjamin has nothing to hide. The allegations against her are false,” and that…