IDEA Public Schools inks $475,000 settlement with former superintendent

WESLACO, TEXAS (ValleyCentral) — IDEA Public Schools inked a $475,000 settlement with a former superintendent in January.

Former Superintendent JoAnn Gama, who co-founded IDEA, signed the settlement agreement on Jan. 25. As part of the settlement, Gama agreed to drop a lawsuit against IDEA.

“What I can tell you is that IDEA fired JoAnn Gama. She filed a lawsuit against IDEA asserting that it was legally wrong. And that IDEA ended up paying her $475,000 to settle her claim,” said attorney David Willis of Brownsville, who represented Gama.

JoAnn Gama was born and raised in Houston, according to information published by IDEA. After she graduated from college, Gama joined Teach for America and moved to the Rio Grande Valley, where she worked for the Donna Independent School District.

In 2000, Gama and Tom Torkelson, another Donna ISD teacher who participated in the Teach for America program, co-founded IDEA Public Schools.

They adopted a no-excuses approach to education and promised to prepare every student for college.

IDEA started with just 150 students in Donna.

During the next two decades, IDEA opened schools in San Antonio, Austin, Houston and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. By October 2020, the charter school system had more than 62,000 students, according to data published by the Texas Education Agency.

IDEA also had plans to open schools in other states, including Florida and Ohio.

In 2020, though, questions surfaced about how top administrators spent taxpayer money.

Documents released under the Texas Public Information Act showed IDEA had leased a jet, purchased a boutique hotel in Cameron County and rented a luxurious apartment in San Antonio.

Torkelson, who apologized for making “really dumb and unhelpful” decisions, agreed to resign. IDEA provided him with a $900,000 severance package and the title “CEO Emeritus.”

Gama, who had served as superintendent, replaced Torkelson as CEO.

IDEA also hired attorney Michael McCrum of San Antonio, a former federal prosecutor, to conduct an independent audit.

In May 2021, after reviewing the audit findings, IDEA fired Gama and issued a statement that claimed top administrators had used public money for personal gain.

“In summary, the review uncovered substantial evidence that in the years prior to 2020’s reforms, a small number of IDEA senior leaders directed the use of IDEA financial and staff resources for their personal benefit on multiple occasions,” according to a statement IDEA released on May 25, 2021. “Furthermore, their actions appeared to be done in a manner to avoid detection by the standard external audit and internal control processes that the Board had in place at the time.”

IDEA never released the audit and filed several lawsuits against the Texas Attorney General’s Office to block the release of public records linked to the investigation.

Gama, who is a Hispanic woman, filed a lawsuit against IDEA in November 2022, claiming that IDEA had treated her differently than Torkelson, a white man.

“While the School allowed Mr. Torkelson to resign quietly with a severance to avoid media notoriety, the School took steps to publicly fire and humiliate Gama for things she did not do,” according to the lawsuit.

After more than 14 months of litigation, IDEA settled with Gama in January.

IDEA paid $75,000 to Gama. The charter school system’s insurance company paid her another $400,000.

Gama, meanwhile, paid $10 to settle IDEA’s counter-claims against her.

As part of the settlement, Gama agreed to drop her lawsuit against IDEA, never apply for a job with IDEA and return all IDEA property.

The settlement also included a non-disparagement agreement.

Gama “will not in any manner, directly or indirectly, personally or through third parties, engage in any conduct or communications designed or intended to disparage or defame the goodwill or reputation of IDEA Public Schools,” according to the settlement agreement.

IDEA made the same promise to Gama.

They inked the settlement agreement in January. Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane dismissed the lawsuit in February.

“IDEA Public Schools and former CEO and Superintendent JoAnn Gama have mutually agreed to resolve and settle the ongoing litigation between both parties,” according to a statement released by IDEA. “This decision, with the direction and assistance of our insurance carrier, allows IDEA’s leadership staff and resources to continue to focus on the advancement of our schools and students.”