The Texas Supreme Court has received a petition for review in Fort Worth ISD v. Joseph Palazzolo, according to an October 23, 2026, court notice. The notice does not identify the petitioner, and the court has not said whether it will hear the case.
The filing follows an August 13, 2026, decision by the Second Court of Appeals in Fort Worth. That court upheld a Wise County judge's denial of the district's request to dismiss the case, finding that unresolved factual disputes require a jury. The court did not decide whether the district retaliated against Palazzolo, a former assistant principal at Arlington Heights High School who sued in 2012. He alleges he was retaliated against for reporting suspected misconduct. The district has disputed those claims and said its decisions had other reasons.
Palazzolo's attorney, Warren Norred, criticized the district's handling of the case in a statement to The Dallas Express, saying its lawyers are delaying justice. The district provided a figure of $100,000 in response to a public records request for total legal costs, describing it as the applicable deductible.