Special to El Rrun-Rrun
No one said a word.
No comments were made. But all eyes were on indicted Brownsville Independent School District Dr. Sylvia Atkinson as she attended a specially-called meeting today of the board where they voted to opt for distance learning instead of face-to-face instruction at the start of the school year Sept. 8.
The decision came almost a week after the Port Isabel ISD voted to choose distance learning and not hazard contagion of teachers, students and staff by CODIV-19 that could then be spread to the rest of the community.
During the meeting, Mayor Trey Mendez told the board via Zoom that the city commission would vote to support their resolution at its upcoming meeting. Cameron County Eddie Treviño addressed the board later in the meeting.
At today's meeting, Atkinson sat – at a social distance – next to board counsel Baltazar Salazar.
Before the meeting, Salazar – who cleared her presence at the meeting – had her address the board where Atkinson said she had "voluntarily" recused herself from the board because she though that the process would be cleared by February until she learned that it would be August before the process would continue.
"I love this community and will stay engaged," she said.
Atkinson has maintained she had chosen not to attend BISD functions or attend meetings. But during her arraignment hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald G. Morgan he laid out the conditions Atkinson must meet in order to be released.
The BISD trustee was required to submit a $5,000 cash deposit with the federal court, maintain and seek employment, and surrender her passport. Additionally, Morgan ordered Atkinson to refrain from contact with any alleged co-conspirators or victims.
Three other BISD board members – Minerva Peña, Drue Brown, and Preisci Roca-Tipton – are named in subpoenas in federal court, and are potential witnesses. All were present with her at today's meeting.
The trustee and former Texas Southmost College employee faces eight federal counts of conspiracy, bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, and violation of the Travel Act-State Law Bribe
And during a hearing in state court where she is facing a removal petition by Cameron County District Attorney Luis V. Saenz, it was learned from testimony by BISD Board Secretary Patricia Perez of communications between Atkinson and other board members, as well as Superintendent René Gutierrez, in the months since her arrest.
Her attorney Noe Garza referenced emails “dating back to January, but one as recent as June 23, 2020” — an email from Atkinson to Gutierrez regarding budget flexibility options, according to him.
“I think Ms. Perez, the point here is that Dr. Atkinson has communicated since Nov. 20, 2019 through the president with board members and the superintend and the superintendent regarding matters pertaining to the school,” said Garza.
At that time, Cameron County Assistant District Attorney Edward Sandoval took the opportunity to address the motion to compel written discovery filed on March 18, to which the state has allegedly received no response, filing two letters after the initial request calling on Atkinson to produce the documents, court records showed.
The Texas Public Information Act states that the current or former officers or employees of a government entity have a duty to back up all correspondence, whether on a personal or school district device related to school business, to fill such requests, the attorney argued.
“Ms. Perez has described that Dr. Atkinson has continued to send emails to members of the school board,” said Sandoval. Later, he added, “We actually requested that from the Brownsville school district and they have not provided it to us. Letters were sent on March 6 to the public information officer and cc’d to Mr. Salazar.”
“Ms. Perez has described that Dr. Atkinson has continued to send emails to members of the school board,” said Sandoval. Later, he added, “We actually requested that from the Brownsville school district and they have not provided it to us. Letters were sent on March 6 to the public information officer and cc’d to Mr. Salazar.”
Was Atkinson right in attending a meeting where potential witnesses or victims were present, or did she decide to unilaterally end her "voluntary" abstention from BISD business?