Judge reinstates longtime North Texas transportation chief Michael Morris
Michael Morris is back on the job, for now, as transportation director for the North Central Texas Council of Governments, after a judge reversed his firing while a lawsuit moves forward.
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A temporary injunction signed Tuesday requires that Morris immediately continue in the role, undoing his April 29 dismissal.
In a statement, NCTCOG public affairs director Caroline Vandergriff confirmed the move.
Morris had been ousted by Executive Director Todd Little, a move that drew pushback from members of the Regional Transportation Council, who questioned the authority behind the decision.
The lawsuit was filed by Denton County and the Regional Transportation Council against NCTCOG and members of its executive board. They argued the firing overstepped authority and disrupted the region’s transportation planning structure.
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The judge’s order is a “preliminary measure” that “does not address the merits of the case,” Vandergriff said, but it restores Morris to his post for now as the case proceeds.
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It forbids the NCTCOG and other defendants from pursuing a replacement for Morris, according to WFAA-TV (Channel 8).
Morris has been an influential player in North Texas transportation for more than three decades. The NCTCOG is a regional planning organization and its RTC is a 45-member group of elected officials from all over North Texas in charge of setting policy for the Council of Governments.
The council’s executive board will meet Wednesday. A trial date has been set for Nov. 9.
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