Feagins Lawsuit vs. MSCS: Open Meetings, Defamation, Title VII

Marie Feagins, the former Memphis-Shelby County Schools superintendent fired in January 2025, has two active lawsuits against the district. The Feagins lawsuit against MSCS in Shelby County Circuit Court alleges the board violated Tennessee’s Open Meetings Act to engineer her removal and includes a defamation claim against board member Towanna Murphy. A separate federal suit, filed in March 2026, alleges sex-based discrimination and retaliation under Title VII. Both cases remained pending as of mid-2026.¹

Why Feagins Was Fired

The MSCS board voted 6-3 on January 21, 2025, to terminate Feagins about nine months into a four-year, $325,000-a-year contract. The board’s resolution cited “professional misconduct and poor leadership,” pointing to her failure to substantiate a claim that district employees had received $1 million in overtime for time not worked, her acceptance of a donation over $45,000 without the board approval required for expenditures above $15,000, and what the board called misleading statements about a federal grant and a missed deadline. The board also accused her of losing a $300,000 state contract for unhoused students.²³

Feagins called the allegations “false accusations and political maneuvering” and told reporters, “I’ll see them in court.”² At the time of the vote, the board had not decided whether the firing was “with cause” or “without cause.” A without-cause termination would have obligated the district to pay roughly $486,000 under her contract, equal to 18 months of salary.³

The State Lawsuit: Open Meetings and Reinstatement

Feagins filed suit in Shelby County Circuit Court in February 2025, alleging that board members held “serial private meetings” to plan her removal before the public vote, in violation of Tennessee’s Open Meetings Act. She sought reinstatement and $487,500 in back pay and benefits.⁴⁵

At a July 22, 2025 hearing, Feagins asked Judge Robert Childers for a preliminary injunction putting her back in the superintendent’s chair. Her legal team introduced more than ten exhibits, including call logs, videos, and text messages, arguing that board members had coordinated privately before the public termination vote. Feagins also testified about an August 2024 lunch between board members Joyce Dorse Coleman, Stephanie Love, and former member Althea Greene where, she said, her firing was discussed.⁶ She testified that the board’s “baseless allegations” and “smear campaign” had “ruined her reputation and future employment prospects.”⁷

The district’s attorney, Robert Spence, argued on cross-examination that much of Feagins’ evidence was hearsay, that the board had the right to discuss a superintendent’s performance in private, and that she had not met the legal threshold for an open-meetings violation.⁶

On August 8, 2025, Judge Childers denied the preliminary injunction. He found Feagins had a “chance” of succeeding on the merits but had not shown she was likely to prevail after a full hearing. He also ruled that lost income does not constitute “irreparable harm” because it can be compensated with money, and that reinstating her on the eve of a new school year would cause “further disruption” to the district.⁸ The underlying suit continued.⁹

The Defamation Claim Against Towanna Murphy

On May 30, 2025, Feagins amended the state complaint to add board member Towanna Murphy as an individual co-defendant on defamation grounds.¹⁰ The amended complaint alleges Murphy spread “false, malicious, and defamatory messages” to colleagues and Memphis Mayor Paul Young, accusing Feagins of involvement in the theft of Murphy’s personal car and of committing forgery.¹¹ No police reports or independent investigations confirming the underlying car-theft or forgery allegations have been publicly reported.

Judge Childers granted Feagins’ motion to add the defamation claim at the July 22, 2025 hearing. Murphy declined to comment that evening.⁵

The Federal Title VII Lawsuit

On March 19, 2026, Feagins filed a separate federal lawsuit alleging sex-based discrimination and retaliation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. She sought $487,500 in severance along with compensatory and punitive damages, arguing she had been treated less favorably than her male predecessors. She pointed specifically to Joris Ray, who received a $480,000 severance package when he resigned in 2022. The complaint also seeks back pay, front pay, and damages for emotional distress.¹²¹³

MSCS has moved to dismiss on two grounds. First, the district argues the suit is time-barred, filed eight days past the 90-day deadline that began when Feagins received her EEOC right-to-sue letter on December 11, 2025. Second, it argues the complaint is “legally deficient,” lacking sufficient facts to support claims of sex discrimination or a hostile work environment.¹

Where the Cases Stand

As of mid-2026, both lawsuits are still active. The state case, with the open-meetings claims against the district and the defamation count against Murphy, is awaiting a ruling from Judge Childers after the failed injunction bid. The federal case is stalled at the pleading stage while the court considers the district’s motion to dismiss on timeliness and sufficiency. No decision has been reported on either.¹

1
Commercial Appeal. MSCS Marie Feagins Lawsuit Motion to Dismiss
2
Chalkbeat Tennessee. Marie Feagins Fired Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent
3
Action News 5. MSCS Board Discusses Potential Removal of Supt. Feagins
4
Action News 5. Feagins Wrongful Termination Lawsuit Starts Over Amid Mayoral Run
5
Chalkbeat Tennessee. Former Superintendent Marie Feagins Sues Board Member Defamation
6
Commercial Appeal. Marie Feagins Lawsuit Memphis-Shelby County Schools
7
Action News 5. Former MSCS Supt. Feagins Testifies in Court Amid Termination Lawsuit
8
Commercial Appeal. Superintendent MSCS Marie Feagins Injunction Denied
9
Chalkbeat Tennessee. Ex-Memphis Superintendent Marie Feagins Will Not Win Back Job Immediately
10
Tri-State Defender. Feagins Alleges Retaliation, Defamation in Amended Lawsuit Against MSCS Board
11
Action News 5. Ousted MSCS Supt. Amends Suit Against School Board With New Claims of Conspiracy to Fire Her
12
Tri-State Defender. Shelby County Mayoral Candidate Marie Feagins Sues MSCS Alleging Sexual Discrimination
13
Commercial Appeal. Marie Feagins Sues Memphis-Shelby County Schools in Federal Court