10. Board Self-Evaluation.
a. Discussion, consideration, and possible action on complaint by parent regarding the BISD's Facebook page procedures relating to board member's public actions and Board Member's actions in schools.
b. Discussion, consideration, and possible action on complaint by parent regarding Board Member, Mr. Erasmo Castro's, public actions.
c. Discussion, consideration, and possible action on Petition for Removal in Cause No. 2019-DCL-5623-C of Board Member, Mr. Erasmo Castro.
By Juan Montoya
Well, as the saying goes; The chickens have come home to roost. Or maybe it was Harry Truman who stated it best: The buck stops here.
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In today's BISD meeting, six of the seven Brownsville Independent School District will discuss - and possibly take some action - on the ongoing public spectacle embodied in the actions of their colleague Erasmo Castro.
The board will hear a complaint by a parent (or parents?) that Castro has made it a habit to appear at the district's high school campuses and often snap selfies with students that later appear on his Facebook page.
This seems to go counter to BISD policy that requires parental consent is required before taking photographs of students. The problem is then compounded when the student's photo (next to Castro) are posted on Castro's social pages. A cursory view of the photos there shows that the majority of the students portrayed are young male students. The sites do not contain disclaimers that they were posted with the consent of the students or their legal guardians.
The board will also consider what action to take in response to the petition for removal from the board by four residents of the district that was filed in district court based on his recent arrest for public intoxication.
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The petition for removal of Castro was accompanied by the petition of four other residents of the San Benito Consolidated independent School District who want the court to remove board president Michael Vargas.
Two visiting judges will hear the cases. Under Chapter 87 of the Texas Local Government Code, the removal of of a school board member can be initiated by petition to the judge of the state district court where the trustee resides.
The power to initiate removal proceedings rests with individuals petitioning a state district judge - and not with the school board. Euresti is the presiding judge for Cameron County.
The code lists 14 elected officials from district attorneys to county judges, sheriffs, county commissioners and justices of the peace who can potentially be removed from office. School board members of independent school districts are included.
One of the grounds for removal is intoxication. Castro was arrested Sept. 2 at about 1:35 a.m. on charges of driving while intoxicated at 900 Morrison Road in Brownsville.
Vargas was arrested July 5 at about 2 a.m. on the 1500 block of Ed Carey Drive in Harlingen and charged with DWI.
A police report indicated that Vargas, 32, was found “sleeping behind the wheel of a black passenger vehicle,” around 2 a.m. Friday July 5. Apparently, someone called the police in reference to an alleged intoxicated driver.
Castro was found sitting in the back seat of a his car which had damage to the driver's front side and a flat tire. When he refused to submit to a alcohol breath test after he failed sobriety tests, police acquired a warrant to draw blood to determine alcohol content. The results have not been released.
It is unclear what specific action the board majority could take since it would appear that the most it could do is to censure Castro and prohibit him from unilaterally entering high school campuses without authorization from the administration. Current BISD policy does not address the matter.
The board will meet at 5:30 p.m. at the BISD Administration Building, 1900 Price Road.
a. Discussion, consideration, and possible action on complaint by parent regarding the BISD's Facebook page procedures relating to board member's public actions and Board Member's actions in schools.
b. Discussion, consideration, and possible action on complaint by parent regarding Board Member, Mr. Erasmo Castro's, public actions.
c. Discussion, consideration, and possible action on Petition for Removal in Cause No. 2019-DCL-5623-C of Board Member, Mr. Erasmo Castro.
By Juan Montoya
Well, as the saying goes; The chickens have come home to roost. Or maybe it was Harry Truman who stated it best: The buck stops here.
In today's BISD meeting, six of the seven Brownsville Independent School District will discuss - and possibly take some action - on the ongoing public spectacle embodied in the actions of their colleague Erasmo Castro.The board will hear a complaint by a parent (or parents?) that Castro has made it a habit to appear at the district's high school campuses and often snap selfies with students that later appear on his Facebook page.
This seems to go counter to BISD policy that requires parental consent is required before taking photographs of students. The problem is then compounded when the student's photo (next to Castro) are posted on Castro's social pages. A cursory view of the photos there shows that the majority of the students portrayed are young male students. The sites do not contain disclaimers that they were posted with the consent of the students or their legal guardians.
The board will also consider what action to take in response to the petition for removal from the board by four residents of the district that was filed in district court based on his recent arrest for public intoxication.
The petition for removal of Castro was accompanied by the petition of four other residents of the San Benito Consolidated independent School District who want the court to remove board president Michael Vargas.Two visiting judges will hear the cases. Under Chapter 87 of the Texas Local Government Code, the removal of of a school board member can be initiated by petition to the judge of the state district court where the trustee resides.
The power to initiate removal proceedings rests with individuals petitioning a state district judge - and not with the school board. Euresti is the presiding judge for Cameron County.
The code lists 14 elected officials from district attorneys to county judges, sheriffs, county commissioners and justices of the peace who can potentially be removed from office. School board members of independent school districts are included.
One of the grounds for removal is intoxication. Castro was arrested Sept. 2 at about 1:35 a.m. on charges of driving while intoxicated at 900 Morrison Road in Brownsville.
Vargas was arrested July 5 at about 2 a.m. on the 1500 block of Ed Carey Drive in Harlingen and charged with DWI.
A police report indicated that Vargas, 32, was found “sleeping behind the wheel of a black passenger vehicle,” around 2 a.m. Friday July 5. Apparently, someone called the police in reference to an alleged intoxicated driver.
Castro was found sitting in the back seat of a his car which had damage to the driver's front side and a flat tire. When he refused to submit to a alcohol breath test after he failed sobriety tests, police acquired a warrant to draw blood to determine alcohol content. The results have not been released.
It is unclear what specific action the board majority could take since it would appear that the most it could do is to censure Castro and prohibit him from unilaterally entering high school campuses without authorization from the administration. Current BISD policy does not address the matter.
The board will meet at 5:30 p.m. at the BISD Administration Building, 1900 Price Road.