Special prosecutor’s appointment in Keller ISD case indicates wrongdoing, HOA says
The appointment of a special prosecutor in a lawsuit against Keller school board members indicates the state believes there is evidence they engaged in illegal conversations when they discussed splitting the school district in half last year, according to the homeowners group that filed the lawsuit.
Johnson County District Attorney Timothy Good this week accepted the role of special prosecutor in a lawsuit seeking the removal of Keller school board president John Birt, vice president Heather Washington and trustee Charles Randklev, who previously served as president. Randklev said Wednesday he was resigning to run for Keller City Council.
The plaintiffs in the suit are residents of the Heritage HOA in far north Fort Worth. Cary Moon, one of the leaders of the Heritage Legal Task Force, said the move to appoint a special prosecutor was good news, meaning the plaintiffs would have their day in court.
In July, the Heritage Legal Task Force filed a petition in Tarrant County District Court seeking the trustees’ removal, alleging they violated Texas open meetings laws by holding private discussions about the split.
The proposed split plan, which would have divided the district in half using U.S. 377 as the dividing line, came to light in January. Amid backlash from the community, the plan was called off in March. The Keller district cited costs as the reason for axing the proposal.
In October, Judge David Evans of the Eighth Administrative Judicial Region signed an order to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the allegations. On Dec. 8, Good was formally named.
Heritage Legal Task Force member Brent Thompson said Good would take the lead, but that he would still likely work closely with the plaintiffs’ attorneys, led by Dee Kelly of Fort Worth firm Kelly Hart and Hallman.
Moon said Birt and Washington would be deposed in the case in January. Randklev and former trustee Micah Young, who is no longer named in the lawsuit, have already been deposed. Moon said he believed a trial would likely take place in April.
Birt, Randklev and Washington and the spokesperson for the board attorney did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.
The Heritage Legal Task Force has raised more than $70,000 from the community to fund the suit, Moon said. He said another $40,000 is needed to cover the costs of the upcoming deposition and trial.
This story was originally published December 12, 2025 at 11:36 AM.