SEGUIN ISD teacher alleges superintendent intimidated her during Oct. 31 classroom visit; board hears grievance

Tiffany Cunningham, an English teacher, told the SEGUIN ISD Board of Trustees at a Dec. 11 special meeting that Superintendent Dr. Veronica Vigil visited her classroom on Oct. 31, 2024 and "used her position of power to intimidate me into silence." Cunningham said the visit met the Texas School Safety Center’s definition of bullying and constituted retaliation for her earlier testimony to the board. She asked the board to issue a formal reprimand to the superintendent.

Cunningham described a pattern of what she called deflection when staff raise concerns about student safety and mental‑health incidents. She cited the recent student deaths in the district and said staff and students feel unsupported: "Less than 24 hours before taking his life, Malek confided in me that he felt he would never be good enough for his teachers," Cunningham said. She told the board the public posting of her name on the agenda deterred employees from reporting concerns.

An administration representative summarized the district’s recollection of an Oct. 31 conversation with Cunningham, saying the visit was intended to check on staff welfare. According to that statement, the administrator opened by asking whether Cunningham was "okay," discussed dress‑code concerns and offered follow‑up support. The administration said the visit was not intended to intimidate and that it had requested written statements from the parties after Cunningham filed a grievance on Nov. 15.

Board members asked detailed questions about the timing and circumstances of the visit (class change time, whether the door was open, whether other staff were present), whether confidential student information had been disclosed, and whether district leaders had followed up after the conversation. Cunningham acknowledged she had received a personal phone number from a leader after the meeting and reiterated that intent did not erase the harm she felt.

Following presentations and board questioning, trustees considered multiple motions related to remedies and personnel actions from several employee grievances. The board moved some level‑3 remedies forward and amended others; transcript records show votes on remedies and directives, including votes recorded in the meeting transcript consistent with the board’s actions that evening.

Next steps: The board completed the grievance presentations and then moved multiple personnel items into executive session and returned to take formal votes. The board’s recorded votes and any written findings or reprimands will be reflected in official minutes and personnel records when those documents are released.