Jeremy Liebbe
A gay D.I.S.D. investigator was escorted out of his office by police late Thursday evening and put on paid leave, the Dallas Morning News reports. Jeremy Liebbe was first profiled in the Dallas Voice in 2011. It was believed that, at the time, he may be one of only a handful of out gay male officers in North Texas. Liebbe was a visible presence in the LGBT community, actively involved with security at Dallas Pride and creating a self-defense course at Youth First.
Then a narcotics investigator with the school district, he has since risen through the ranks to become one of its top investigators. He was most recently promoted to head of the district’s Professional Standards Office, the investigative unit of the district’s the human resources department. Known for his aggressive interrogations, he recently lead the investigation that resulted in 15 athletic employees losing their jobs.
Before the district placed him on leave, Liebbe was investigating allegations that a top district official lied on a district application about the official’s criminal history.
André Riley, a district spokesman, confirmed Liebbe was on leave but did not elaborate any further. In an e-mail to DMN, Riley said that Leibbe’s behavior after the athletics investigation resulted in his leave, not the results of the investigation itself.
Liebbe’s lawyer, Peter Schulte told DMN that Liebbe has done nothing illegal. But he worries that Liebbe may have been put on leave in retaliation for his investigations.
“It is always a little concerning when the chief investigator of the administrative side of any organization, but especially a government organization, is placed on leave without appropriate notice,” Schulte said. “Because the public has to have trust and integrity in the people who are overseeing what’s happening.”
