UPDATED STORY:
Dr. Lilly and his legal counsel released a statement to 25 News reporter Josh Crawford shortly after Killeen ISD released documentation of Lilly's resignation.
In my communications with Dr. Lilly last night, he did, in fact, confirm that on March 28th, through his attorney, he provided a resignation effective the last day of his contract, which is June 30, 2025. This resignation was based on the premise that he had committed no wrongdoing, as outlined in the letter, in which he bases his reason for resignation on mental anguish.
However, that was rejected by KISD, and they requested that he resign by April 15th. From that point forward, multiple offers were communicated to Dr. Lilly in which he communicated through his attorney that he would not be accepting nor resigning without a public statement from the superintendent acknowledging no wrongdoing by him, as the superintendent had now suggested through public statements that there was good cause for his termination. Dr. Lilly further communicated to his attorney at the time that if KISD chose to proceed with the termination of his contract, he was prepared to fight the false allegations through the appropriate channels. Dr. Lilly stated he was completely shocked last night when the board communicated that he had resigned, considering that he had communicated that he was unwilling to resign without a retraction of the negative public statements by the superintendent.
Dr. Lilly also says that it is unfortunate that the school district has taken this current position regarding such a tragic incident and that the focus should not be on this right now but rather on ensuring the safety of the students going forward. He hopes KISD will take a step back rather than continue with misleading statements.
According to KISD, the district is looking to hire a new principal as expeditiously as possible. Currently, a principal supervisor manages the campus's day-to-day operations.
ORIGINAL STORY:
In a meeting, Killeen ISD reported that Dr. Frederick Lilly resigned as the principal of Roy J. Smith Middle School.
However, Dr. Lilly has refuted this claim, exclusively telling 25 News that he did not resign and had rejected a last-minute offer from the district to submit his resignation.
However, on Friday, April 4, 2025, Killeen Independent School District provided 25 News with a resignation letter from Dr. Frederick Lilly, principal of Roy J. Smith Middle School.
In the letter, Dr. Lilly states that he wishes to remain in his position until the end of the school year, which may contradict the district's alleged request that his resignation take effect immediately.
