As a short follow-up to one of the most flagrant examples of local government corruption The Hayride has ever seen, an Austin-area pastor who was wrongfully jailed is now appearing before federal court.

The pastor is Jeremy Story, who, along with Dustin Clark, was arrested at his home on Sept. 17, 2021, days after refusing to leave a public school board meeting. This was during the height of COVID-19 lockdowns. Because he and Clark were arrested on a Friday after hours, the duo spent a night in jail.

Story and Clark sued the Round Rock ISD board of trustees and officials for limiting their access to a tax rate hearing, claiming their constitutional right to petition local government was hindered.

While speaking up at the meeting about allegations of sexual misconduct and possible hush money paid by the superintendent, RRISD president Amy Weir ordered district police officers to forcefully remove Story from the meeting room. The board allowed 16 seated attendees in the room that evening which has a capacity of 375. The room accommodated around 80 persons three months prior.

Despite an ever-growing stack of grievances against the school district — including allegations of a $10 million covert tax hike and the appointment of a state monitor to oversee the board meetings — a slate of conservative challengers failed in their attempt to unseat board incumbents in 2022. The superintendent, Hafedh Azaiez, remains in position.

Story was not available for a follow-up call when contacted, so we include his press release verbatim below. A fundraiser for Story and Clark’s legal expenses may be found here, along with a copy of the lawsuit.

Pastor To Appear In Court Today In His Suit Against Texas School Board That Wrongfully Catalyzed His Arrest

Travis County D.A. Exposed For Not Prosecuting The Superintendent The Pastor Spoke Out About

The pastor, Jeremy Story, whose arrest at his home was catalyzed by a Texas School board will be in Federal court today. He subsequently sued the board members, Superintendent and police officers involved. It has also been revealed that the same Travis County DA in the news this week for selective prosecution that led to the conviction of a Texas army Sergeant was also involved in selective prosecution in and the resulting school board coverup in Story’s case.

In August of 2021, Story was peacefully speaking during his allotted time at a school board meeting and exposed a coverup of a scandal by the RRISD school board. During his speech the school board President, Amy Weir, had district police officers forcefully remove Story from the speaking stand and take him out of the school.

Story was speaking how the Superintendent Hafed Azaiez had been secretly issued a restraining order for family violence at district headquarters. The Superintendent had threatened his mistress, a local school Principal, via SMS messages with violence when she refused to get an abortion after he got her pregnant. A court affidavit filed by a district administrator admitted that when the woman went to the school board for help several school board members informed the Superintendent rather than helping the woman. He then went to her home and aggressed against her verbally and physically.

The school board suddenly issued affidavits leading to his arrest 30 days after Story’s removal from the speaking stand. However, his arrest came only one day after Story had filed a formal grievance with the district regarding his forced removal from the school board meeting. In a new bombshell, the Travis County DA, Jose Garza, has now been found to be involved in not prosecuting Azaiez for the alleged offense Story was speaking out about.

After Story spoke out, an investigator, Ann Dixon, was hired by the district. The investigator concluded Superintendent Azaiez should be fired. The board voted 5-2 to reinstate the Superintendent and hid the investigator’s report for three months from the public. At the time the new board President, Amber Feller, read a letter from the Superintendent’s personal lawyer that assured the board Azaiez would not be prosecuted. Witnesses have said they were subpoenaed for a Grand Jury investigation into the case but, that the case did not move forward to a trial. The principal who had been in romantic relationship with Azaiez also shared that the case magically disappeared when she attempted to inquire with the DA’s office about what had been done. In addition, investigators she had been speaking to were suddenly reassigned elsewhere and not able to be located for further questioning. Furthermore, Independent District Investigator, Ann Dixon’s, phone was also wiped of pertinent messages before it was returned to her by Travis County investigators.

Story and his lawyer appear for the first time today at 1:30 pm in Austin to discuss his suit against the district, various board members and several district police officers for conspiring to deprive Story of First, Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights. The case is being heard by Federal Judge David Allen Ezra in Courtroom #2 in Austin on 501 West Fifth Street. It has the potential of being a landmark parental rights case in Texas and the USA.