Freeport’s school superintendent, Fia Davis, is facing a lawsuit from the Board of Education over what the board describes as an expensive and improper renovation of her central office, which included a private bathroom. In the civil complaint, the board is asking a judge to require Davis to repay hundreds of thousands of dollars and to void contracts the district now considers improper. The lawsuit follows months of internal review that led to Davis being placed on administrative leave last spring.
As reported by Newsday, the Freeport Union Free School District filed its suit in Nassau County Supreme Court and is seeking to claw back roughly $262,000 in contractual pay, a $20,000 payment to a consultant’s company, and more than $100,000 that the complaint says went into renovating Davis’s office. The filing alleges Davis did not disclose a friendship with the consultant, that some invoices lacked supporting timesheets, and that her application materials misstated when she would receive a doctoral degree. According to Newsday, Davis was placed on paid leave last spring, and her contract runs through June 2028 with a base salary of about $295,000 for 2024-25. Davis did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
Interim leadership and school operations
According to Freeport Public Schools, retired assistant superintendent Dr. Alice Kane has stepped in as interim superintendent while the board pursues the legal case. Her appointment followed an administrative reassignment of Davis last spring, and recent meeting minutes show the board has been busy handling personnel and governance issues in the background. District officials say Kane is responsible for day-to-day operations so schools can keep their attention on classroom instruction rather than courtroom filings.
Consultant and contract questions
The lawsuit also puts a spotlight on an outside vendor. The complaint names In Our Best Interest LLC as the firm that received a $20,000 payment the district says was supported by an invoice without timesheets, and it accuses the consultancy fee of being far above typical market rates for similar work. Dr. Dennis McKesey is publicly listed as the founder of In Our Best Interest LLC and as an education consultant and adjunct faculty member, according to his professional profile. Teachers College, Columbia University notes McKesey’s consulting work and affiliations, which the complaint says were not disclosed to the Freeport board.
Board response and what the suit asks for
Board leaders say their goal is to make the district financially whole. At a recent town hall, board vice president Scott A. Richardson told residents that the board has “taken legal action to recoup every dime paid to Superintendent Fia Davis,” according to the court filing and local reporting. The district’s attorneys argue the contracts were procured by fraud and are asking the court to unwind the payments, retrieve funds paid to Davis, and recover the office renovation costs. These requests were detailed by Newsday.
Legal process ahead
The case is a civil lawsuit, and none of the allegations have been proven in court. If the district prevails, it could recover salary payments, the consultant fee, and the renovation costs, but the matter first has to move through discovery and any motions before a judge can rule. Observers note that disputes like this between school boards and superintendents often turn on whether required procurement rules were followed and on how much leeway the contract language gives the administrator.
Budget pressure on Freeport
Freeport’s finances were already under a microscope before this lawsuit. The district has faced criticism in recent years over its fiscal practices, including audits that flagged fund balances and budgeting decisions, adding extra political heat to any large, unexpected spending. Reporting and audits have underscored pressure on Nassau County districts to justify how they use reserves and big-ticket expenditures, as noted by Long Island Press. That backdrop helps explain why the Freeport board moved quickly to file litigation instead of leaving the issue as an internal personnel dispute.
The lawsuit was filed this week and remains active in Nassau County Supreme Court. The board and its attorneys have declined to comment further, pointing to public filings and meeting notices. The case is expected to become a flashpoint at upcoming board meetings and could shape how residents talk about oversight, governance, and procurement inside Freeport schools.
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