BLINN VICE CHANCELLOR FOR HR RESIGNS AFTER MEDIA INVESTIGATION INTO PAST SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE

Josh Blaschke November 25, 2025

Blinn College’s Vice Chancellor for Human Resources has resigned from her position after information surfaced about previous criminal charges involving sexual assault of a minor.

The College confirms that Marie Kirby was asked by Chancellor Dr. Mary Hensley to resign on November 19^th and did so effective November 20^th.

Kirby’s resignation comes after an investigation by KBTX-TV in Bryan, which revealed that she had been charged in 1997 with sexually assaulting a student while working in College Station ISD.

According to KBTX, citing police reports from the time, Kirby was working at the now-defunct Desert Hills treatment facility for troubled children and had an ongoing sexual relationship with the 15-year-old male student.

Kirby accepted a plea deal in December 1998 and agreed to serve eight years’ probation while pleading no contest to burglary of a building to commit sexual assault. Two counts of sexual assault of a child were waived.

Per her punishment, Kirby was required to surrender her teacher’s license and could not pursue renewal for at least eight years. According to the Texas Education Agency’s public registry search, Kirby is still ineligible for employment in a Texas public school.

Kirby was hired by Blinn College as a human resources manager in June 2008 and was promoted to vice chancellor in 2020. Blinn stated her job application included “excellent references”, “indicated no prior criminal convictions”, and “did not indicate prior employment in a Texas school district.” Blinn’s hiring process included background and criminal history checks, but since College leaders from 2008 no longer work there, and records for criminal history checks from that time are not retained, Blinn said it could not provide additional information about the hiring process.

The KBTX report also referenced Kirby’s role in handling matters related to Title IX. According to Blinn, the College’s Title IX program has been managed for several years by Dr. Adrienne McCain, who was designated by the Blinn Board of Trustees as the College’s Title IX Coordinator and manages two investigators. Under board policy, the appeal officer in student Title IX cases is Vice Chancellor of Student Services Dr. Becky McBride. The College stated that Kirby “had no involvement in student Title IX cases”, only employee case appeals, and there were none of those cases in the College’s last Title IX report from 2023-24.

Blinn said it “takes very seriously its responsibility to ensure compliance with applicable laws, policies, and employment standards and to ensure all employees are qualified and suitable for their positions.” Chancellor Hensley said the College is “strongly committed to providing our students with an educational experience that is safe and free from harassment.”

Below is the full statement from Richard Bray, Blinn Director of Communications, Media Relations, and Marketing:

Following receipt of an inquiry on Friday, November 14, 2025, from KBTX regarding Marie Kirby, Blinn College’s leadership promptly reviewed and evaluated the circumstances surrounding Ms. Kirby’s employment and allegations relating to her history. On November 19, 2025, Chancellor Mary Hensley asked Ms. Kirby to resign. Ms. Kirby resigned effective November 20, 2025.

Marie Kirby’s employment

In June 2008, Marie Kirby was hired by Blinn College in a human resources manager role. Prior to working at Blinn, she worked in human resources between 1999 and 2008 and received excellent references. Ms. Kirby’s job application indicated no prior criminal convictions, and it did not indicate prior employment in a Texas school district.

In 2008, Blinn’s job application asked applicants whether they have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor. Blinn also performed background checks, including criminal history checks. Because the individuals in College leadership from 2008 no longer work at Blinn College, the College is unable to provide additional specific information regarding the procedures used at that time. In addition, as required by the Texas Government Code, Section 411.094, Blinn College does not maintain records of criminal history checks performed in 2008 and therefore is not in a position to comment on the results of a background check performed at that time.

Because this is a personnel matter, the College is unable to provide further comment.

Current policies and procedures relating to employment candidates

Blinn’s current job application asks applicants whether they have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor. If the applicant responds yes, the applicant is asked to describe the facts and circumstances. In addition, Blinn’s practice is to perform a criminal background check before hiring any individual. If a criminal background check reveals an offense, Blinn will conduct an individualized assessment of the facts and circumstances.

Consistent with federal EEOC guidelines, Blinn will evaluate whether the information indicates a lack of fitness for the position and will consider such factors as whether the alleged conduct is job related, whether excluding the applicant is consistent with business necessity, the amount of time that has passed, and the employee’s work history since the alleged offense.

Blinn College takes very seriously its responsibility to ensure compliance with applicable laws, policies, and employment standards and to ensure all employees are qualified and suitable for their positions.

Title IX Compliance at Blinn College

Blinn College’s Title IX program has been managed for several years by Dr. Adrienne McCain. Blinn’s Board of Trustees specifically designated Dr. McCain as Blinn’s Title IX Coordinator in official policy. The department includes two investigators who report to Dr. McCain. Title IX personnel are trained to provide fair, impartial, and sensitive investigations that comply with all legal requirements. See the following for more information about the student Title IX process:

Under Board Policy, the appeal officer in student Title IX cases is Vice Chancellor of Student Services, Dr. Becky McBride. Marie Kirby had no involvement in student Title IX cases.

“We are strongly committed to providing our students with an educational experience that is safe and free from harassment,” said Dr. Hensley. “Our Title IX team, led by Dr. Adrienne McCain, along with our counseling and students service personnel, provide our students with resources and impartial investigations in the event of any type of Title IX concern.”

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