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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — WREG is digging deeper into the lawsuit filed by former Superintendent Dr. Marie Feagins against the Memphis-Shelby County School board.

In the extensive lawsuit, Dr. Feagins alleges certain board members held secret meetings to fire her, violated the open meetings act and never gave the public enough notice to attend meetings.

Board member Michelle McKissack who has supported Dr. Feagins reacted to the lawsuit.

“I wanted to make it very clear that I did not participate in any meetings that might’ve taken place, in secret, behind closed doors, off campus,” McKissack said. “Anything that I have had to say, since this whole process began over 6 weeks ago, I said it publicly, to the public.”

Beyond school board members, the lawsuit also mentions other influential leaders, including Memphis City Councilman JB Smiley Jr. who Dr. Feagins alleged warned her she would “pay for her actions” after filing an order of protection against a member of a non-profit the district has done millions of dollars of business with.

However, according to the claims made in the lawsuit, the process to push Dr. Feagins out of her position started long before six weeks ago.

In fact, it alleges that it goes all the way back to last August.

WREG told you about the incident when Dr. Feagins said a board member of the mentoring and tutoring non-profit Peer Power, Charles “Dow” McVean, approached her about a contract set to expire.

Peer Power has done millions of dollars worth of business with the district over the past 20 years.

Dr. Feagins claimed McVean yelled at her using profanity and continued to follow her. She later filed an order of protection against him.

The lawsuit said the same day the order of protection was petitioned to the court, Dr. Feagins received an angry phone call from City Councilman JB Smiley Jr.

The lawsuit claimed that Smiley shouted at her using profanity, saying in part, “You don’t know these people. … My funders are on me now telling me she has to go because they know I supported you … They are telling me to get rid of you.”

Weeks later, the lawsuit alleged Smiley told the owner of a local dance academy, “We are coming after (Feagins)” because of the police report filed against McVean.

He also allegedly said, “(Feagins) will be gone … just watch.”

WREG asked Smiley if he had any comment about the lawsuit during Tuesday’s city council meeting.

He replied, “I’m fine” and didn’t elaborate.

“I was not there for that conversation if he did make those remarks, shame on him,” McKissack said. “Shame on him because as public leaders we should be coming together to help our children and not be concerned about who may write us the next check so that we can run for office.”

The lawsuit alleges that following the incident with the Peer Power board member, a school board member demanded Dr. Feagins “fix the relationship with Peer Power”, noting that doing so would give her brownie points.

After that, school board members allegedly began to meet in private to discuss her potential termination.

WREG also attempted to speak with Smiley again at the committee meeting, texted and emailed him, but so far, we have not heard back.