Blinn College Board Calls Closed-Door Meeting After Hiring Controversy

The meeting comes after the college faced questions over hiring a vice chancellor with a past sexual assault conviction.

Feb. 9, 2026 at 10:15pm

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The Blinn College District Board of Trustees in Brenham, Texas has called a special closed-door meeting on Thursday, just days after the college faced questions over hiring a vice chancellor who had previously pleaded no contest to a felony sexual assault of a child in the 1990s. The college had claimed it was unaware of the vice chancellor's criminal history, but documents obtained by a local news station showed the college's former general counsel said they knew about it. The meeting agenda is sparse on details, with most of the session set to take place in executive session.

Why it matters

This case raises serious questions about Blinn College's hiring practices and oversight, as well as the college's transparency in addressing the controversy. The fact that the vice chancellor in question was responsible for investigating sexual misconduct complaints at the college further compounds the concerns.

The details

KBTX, the local news station that first broke the story, has been investigating the matter since November 2025. They obtained documents showing that Blinn's former general counsel said the college knew it had hired a vice chancellor with a prior felony conviction for sexually assaulting a child, but did not think this disqualified her from the promotion. However, Blinn's chancellor, Mary Hensley, had previously told the media the college had no knowledge of the vice chancellor's criminal history when it forced her out in November 2025.

  • Blinn College's Board of Trustees called the special closed-door meeting on Monday, February 10, 2026.
  • The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 13, 2026 at 9 AM.

The players

Blinn College District Board of Trustees

The governing body of Blinn College, a community college system in Texas.

Mary Hensley

The chancellor of Blinn College, who previously claimed the college was unaware of the vice chancellor's criminal history.

Blinn College's former General Counsel

The former top legal counsel for Blinn College, who said the college knew about the vice chancellor's prior felony conviction.

Blinn College Vice Chancellor

A former vice chancellor at Blinn College who had previously pleaded no contest to a felony sexual assault of a child charge in the 1990s.

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What they’re saying

“We have found that Blinn's former General Counsel said the college knew they'd hired a Vice Chancellor who ran human resources and Title IX and had previously pleaded no contest to a felony. They didn't think this disqualified her from promotion to vice chancellor.”

— KBTX, News Station

“Chancellor Mary Hensley said the college had no knowledge of criminal history.”

— Mary Hensley, Chancellor, Blinn College

What’s next

The Blinn College Board of Trustees is expected to address the hiring controversy and the college's response during the closed-door meeting on Thursday.

The takeaway

This case highlights the importance of thorough background checks and transparency in the hiring process, especially for positions of authority like the vice chancellor role that oversees Title IX and sexual misconduct investigations. Blinn College's conflicting statements and lack of accountability raise serious concerns about the college's commitment to student safety and wellbeing.