Two members of the Texas Board of Education visited the Lorena Independent School District's board of trustees meeting on Aug. 26 amid ongoing litigation against the district and its principal.
LORENA, Texas — Two State Board of Education (SBOE) members attended the Lorena Independent School District school board meeting on Aug. 26 amid continuing controversy.
This comes as the Lorena Independent School District and Lorena Elementary Principal April Jewell face a lawsuit filed by the parents of a preschooler who was sexually abused at the school.
During the meeting, dozens of people shared their thoughts with the board about how the situation was handled and how much they love the district and the people who lead it.
SBOE Executive Director Patricia Hardy also addressed the board. She has been on the board for 22 years and an educator for even longer. She said she was so touched by the emails she received from parents that she decided to take a drive out and make a trip.
“I felt I had to say something about a situation that I found extremely disturbing. I think it's often a question of getting to the truth of what happened. What happened to that little girl should never have happened and it wouldn't have happened if adults had been more forthcoming and asked more questions,” Hardy told 6News in an interview after the meeting. “It seems like there have been people who have tried to change the situation, as people have contacted me, but they've just not been able to break through a kind of protective shield. I've been a teacher for many years and I've never seen anything like this, but I know this kind of thing goes on.”
Hardy said he plans to ask the state Board of Educational Accreditation to thoroughly investigate the situation and bring all the facts to light. He added that change is needed because pedophilia in schools has become a national epidemic.
“The responsible adults need to be held accountable for this in some way because it sends a message to others that this will not be tolerated,” Hardy added. “There was a time when this was swept under the rug, but we can't do that anymore, so I hope that this will change.”
SBOE member Evelyn Brooks, who represents the Lorena Independent School District, was also in attendance and addressed the board and the audience.
Brooks told 6News in an interview that he was surprised by the division he saw at the meeting.
“This is not a divisive issue, but it's a decision that divides people on both sides, so of course there will be differences of opinion,” Brooks said, “but how do you respectfully disagree? I hope the lesson from tonight is not only that we as leaders have to be accountable, but also that our citizens play a very important role in the success of our school district and provide a level of safety as well.”
Brooks has been investigating parent concerns and allegations facing the district for months, and he said he would like to see more attention and resources put into investigating situations like the one happening in Lorena Independent School District, as is happening across the state.
“I am confident that the state of Texas has the budget to have the necessary staffing to meet the needs of the grievance process in our schools and that it will be expedited and not drawn out,” Brooks explained. “We need to have some kind of plan in place to address this need. This is not an isolated issue. What's happening here in Lorena is happening all across the state of Texas.”
Brooks believes the investigation will shed light on how the Lorena Independent School District should handle the situation and that the truth will come out.
Jewell is principal at Lorena Elementary School, and the lawsuit she faces along with the school district is currently before the Court of Appeals.