Harris County District Court
HOUSTON - Allegations in recent lawsuits filed in Houston state court include an unfair ousting of the CEO of a large tech company, an argument that turned into a murder and lawyers forging a client’s signature.
Raynoldo Joel Hernandez v. Alicia Rodriguez, et al.
On May 20, Hernandez, as the surviving parent of Mark Twain Hernandez, sued Rodriguez, Gustavo Rodriguez and the Pine Village North Homeowners Association over a 2023 murder.
Mark Hernandez and wife Victoria Rodriguez returned to a home Gustavo owned in Houston on May 20, 2023, after a graduation party. Mark and Alicia began arguing, at which point an unknown defendant who had hosted the party called Alicia, the suit says.
Hearing the argument over the phone, a John and Jane Doe went to the home. Mark grabbed a gun, and the John Doe went back to his house to grab a firearm of his own, the suit says.
When Mark attempted to leave, the John Doe "stopped him from leaving and continued to antagonize Mark Twain Hernandez," the suit says.
"This led to a gunfight between Mark Twain Hernandez and John Doe in the garage of the residence where John Doe shot Mark Twain Hernandez seven times. Mark Twain Hernandez died on the scene."
Mark was 43 years old.
Jana Williams v. Humble Independent School District, et al.
Among the defendants in the May 21 lawsuit are former Humble High School athletic director Troy Kite, who retired in April 2024 after a report on his behavior containing allegations he has denied.
Williams was his assistant athletic director and is alleging a "toxic and dysfunctional workplace" due to outbursts and sexual innuendos. Defendant Elizabeth Celania-Fagen, who is Kite's wife, was the Humble ISD superintendent and Williams said she worried that complaining to her would cause more problems.
Williams eventually did formally complain, leading to a suspension and a change of her job title. She claims Kite wished for a "20-inch pecker" and made graphic sexual comments about women.
The lawsuit said Kite had intimidated employees by claiming he would fire them if they ever disclosed information personal to him. She never received promised promotions or raises, she claims.
Commission for Lawyer Discipline v. Adam Nathaniel Jacob
Jacob, a family law attorney in Houston, is accused of mishandling client funds in a May 27 petition.
The CLD has complaints from four clients. One was seeking to end child support payments because his child had begun living with him, but he accuses Jacob of failing to return emails, phone calls or texts.
The man lost an oil and gas lease and continued paying child support, the petition says. Jacob is also accused of diverting nearly $150,000 from a client's account to his. Other complaints include failing to respond to a client going through a child-custody matter and bungling a divorce case that led to a woman losing funds from the sale of a home she had 100% ownership of.
The CLD asks the court to impose an appropriate penalty.
Marcos Mondragon v. Crockett Law and Brian Crockett
Mondragon says in a May 19 lawsuit Crockett law executed a settlement of $450,000 without his knowledge. The suit says Crockett Law even went so far as to forge his signature.
And even at the end, he received only $170,000 from the settlement, he says. Financial figures on documents he received were redacted, so he's not sure where his money went.
It is Mondragon's second attempt to sue Crockett Law. He lost the first "based on a purported acknowledgment of the settlement agreement, which Plaintiff also contends contains a forged signature.”
Norman Thomas Barras v. The Reynolds and Reynolds Company, et al.
Barras' May 20 lawsuit involves his ousting from Reynolds and Reynolds, a tech company. He says he had served as founder Bob Brockman's “right hand" but now that Brockman has died, his widow has forced him out.
Barras had risen to CEO and chairman of the company and his employment agreement was valued at $300 million, the suit says. Brockman had been hit with a massive tax evasion case in 2020, leading to Barras' promotion.
Brockman's wife, through various trusts, assumed control of the company, the suit says. She used the company's board to "undermine" him, it adds, and he was fired on May 19.
"No reason was given," the suit says. "Despite his 50 years of service, Barras was treated like a common criminal."
