Judson ISD board moves to propose termination of superintendent after heated public comment; interim appointed

The Judson ISD Board of Trustees voted on a proposal to terminate Superintendent Milton Rob Fields III and later appointed Dr. Mary Duhart Toppin as interim superintendent following a special meeting that drew sustained public comment and debate over the district's investigative process.

Dozens of residents, staff and alumni spoke during the meeting's public comment period, many urging the board to preserve stability and provide fuller public information about an external investigation. "We need to retain Dr. Fields as the Judson ISD superintendent," said Lisa Pfeiffer, who asked the board where the investigation results were and called for reasoned action. Dr. Paula Johnson, the district's executive director of student engagement, urged trustees to "ensure that any decisions made regarding Dr. Fields' future are based strictly on objective evidence and merit, not on the…