Fort Worth Independent School District’s 14-year legal battle with former administrator Joseph Palazzolo has reached the Texas Supreme Court again following an appellate ruling that rejected the district’s latest attempt to dismiss his whistleblower lawsuit.
An October 23, 2026, court notice confirms the filing of a petition for review in Fort Worth ISD v. Joseph Palazzolo, Case No. 26-1223. The notice does not identify the petitioner, and the court has not indicated whether it will grant review.
Appeals court rejects dismissal bid
The new filing follows an August 13, 2026, decision by the Second Court of Appeals in Fort Worth. The appellate court affirmed a Wise County judge’s denial of FWISD’s plea to the jurisdiction, finding that unresolved factual disputes require a jury rather than dismissal at that stage. The court did not decide whether FWISD retaliated against Palazzolo.
Palazzolo, a former assistant principal at Arlington Heights High School, sued the district in 2012. He alleges that FWISD retaliated against him for reporting suspected misconduct, including inaccurate student attendance records and discrimination. The district has disputed his retaliation claims and maintained that its employment decisions arose from other reasons.
Attorney questions district oversight
The district’s Board of Managers, which the Texas Education Agency appointed in March 2026, inherited the litigation before the district’s August appeal loss, as The Dallas Express previously reported. Palazzolo’s attorneys have questioned whether district officials briefed the new managers on the case or obtained fresh instructions about the litigation. Those questions reflect the attorneys’ position, not a court finding.
Palazzolo’s attorney Warren Norred criticized the latest development in a statement to The Dallas Express.
“FWISD continues to act without proper oversight as its unhinged lawyers delay justice for Joeseph Pallazollo, who the district fired for reporting misconduct and discrimination more than a decade ago. Color me unsurprised,” Norred told DX.
The litigation has already included a 2014 jury verdict in Palazzolo’s favor, a 2016 appellate reversal ordering a new trial and further disputes over whether the case should proceed. The appeals court reversed the 2014 judgment because the jury instructions omitted FWISD’s statutory defense that it would have taken the same employment action for reasons unrelated to his reports. The August appellate opinion noted that the parties had not returned the disputed retaliation questions to a jury.
The Supreme Court’s October 23 notice says the opposing party need not respond to the petition unless the court orders a response. It does not announce a decision on whether the justices will take the case.
District cites deductible in cost response
The Dallas Express also submitted a public records request to Fort Worth ISD seeking the total legal costs associated with the more than 14-year litigation.
In response, the district provided the following figure: “$100,000; The amount of the applicable deductible.”
That response identifies a deductible; it does not establish the total legal costs incurred over the life of the case.
The Dallas Express reached out to Fort Worth ISD for comment but did not receive a response by publication.
