A high school principal in Texas who committed suicide last week was given an ultimatum to resign or be fired during a meeting just before his death, according to a new report.
Investigators believe Dennis Reeves, 45, of Evadale, fatally shot himself with a .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol inside his pickup truck outside Kirbyville High School on May 23. Reeves — principal at the school for the past three years — had just wrapped up a meeting with two administrators and was given the choice between stepping down or losing his job prior to his unexpected death, sources told KFDM.
That revelation contradicts what Kirbyville Superintendent Tommy Wallis has said about the meeting, downplaying reports that Reeves was fired before he killed himself in the school’s parking lot, KFDM reports.
A staff meeting will be held Tuesday at the school to address Reeves’ death, according to the station.
Wallis and assistant superintendent Georgia Sayers told the station last week they met with Reeves for a routine procedural meeting, including items on summer school and staffing patterns. But sources told KFDM that he was given a choice to resign or be terminated based on allegations against him. The allegations were not disclosed, but were not believed to be criminal, according to the station.
Wallis declined comment when reached by KFDM, referring inquiries to police.
“The district has cooperated with all agencies and extend our thoughts and prayers to the family of Mr. Reeves,” Wallis told the station in a statement.
Calls seeking comment from the Kirbyville Police Department and the Kirbyville Consolidated ISD were not immediately returned Tuesday.
Funeral services for Reeves were held Friday in Silsbee.