SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio families stood around their own podium Thursday night, calling for accountability from the Edgewood Independent School District.
Parents said they were silenced Tuesday night during a school board meeting. Edgewood ISD police arrested Maribel Gardea for going over her time limit during public comment. She now faces three charges: disrupting a meeting, criminal trespass and resisting arrest.
On Thursday night, Gardea held a news conference and invited families to speak about their concerns with the district.
Edgewood ISD “bullied me into going into jail and saying I did all these things, and I don’t believe that’s true,” Gardea told KSAT on Thursday.
Jessica Rodriguez, a mother of Edgewood ISD students, said she’s been dealing with problems for years.
“We’re fighting for our children’s schools to be safe, we’re fighting for them to be taught by certified teachers who take their profession serious,” Rodriguez said.
Gardea signed up to speak about school safety during Tuesday’s board meeting. She’s the executive director of MindShiftEd, a nonprofit dedicated to helping families advocate for their kids’ education. She wanted to speak in both Spanish and English at the podium; the board told her to “go ahead.”
Gardea said she was confused about how she was being timed during public comment and when she tried to keep reading after the four-minute mark, the microphone was cut off.
Video shows district police approaching her at the stand and then escorting her out of the room. In another video that was taken minutes later, Gardea was detained in handcuffs and put in the back of a police car.
“They really showed the community the type of leadership they have and the type of respect they have for anybody,” Gardea said on Thursday.
KSAT reached out to Edgewood ISD for an interview with the superintendent, the board president and the chief of police. An Edgewood ISD spokesperson told KSAT that none of the three were available on Thursday.
Instead, Edgewood ISD Superintendent Dr. Eduardo Hernandez responded to our questions via an emailed statement.
- Can Edgewood ISD confirm if Maribel Gardea was formally asked to leave during Tuesday’s meeting?
- “Ms. Gardea and all speakers were informed of the allotted time prior to public comment beginning. She was also informed of her time before she began her comments, and the Board President extended her time as a courtesy to accommodate Spanish and English, despite her rejecting the offer of a translator; Board Operating Procedures allow for the extra time to accommodate the work of a translator for non-English speaking citizens.”
- Gardea’s team says their nonprofit, MindShiftED, has tried to reach out to the board and district around 40 times, asking for a private meeting. Is this true? Has Edgewood ISD responded?
- “Ms. Gardea’s team has been in contact with the EISD Board, Superintendent and School Leadership. She has met with many different people, in many leadership positions, several times. EISD has responded to her requests and worked to accommodate them.”
- What is Edgewood ISD doing to respond to the claims of bullying, a lack of transparency and a lack of communication in the district?
- “EISD gives annual updates on the on-going response to bullying. You can view the presentation given at the August 19 Board Meeting, on the Superintendent’s page at www.eisd.net As for communication, EISD will continue to communicate with our families via multiple tools, which include but are not limited to – website, email, text message, voice-to-call messages, video messages, social media, digital newsletters, the Student Leadership Network (which brings together students and Trustees), community events such as Platicas, Aubelos Unidos, the Superintendent’s Community Council and other established groups that meet with the Superintendent as well as our photo sharing site."
- Is there a clear policy about time warnings for public comment, and will this change moving forward?
- “As read by EISD Board Secretary Frank Espinosa before public comment began, speakers will be notified when one minute remains in their allotted time. EISD provides a visible countdown clock on the screens on either side of the dais to provide that notification. As the Board president stated, those who ask for a verbal reminder can ask, and he will accommodate the request.”
- Does Edgewood ISD believe the board was clear about how much time Gardea would receive during her public comment?
- “Yes. Details on time allotted for citizens to speak is detailed in the Board Operating Procedures, which can be found at www.eisd.net. In Section 6(b), the BOP states: Presentations may be for up to three minutes or less depending on the number of persons who signed up to speak. Non-English speakers who require a translator may receive up to six minutes to speak. The presiding officer of the meeting may modify or waive these time limit as appropriate."
- What is the district’s response to MindShiftED’s three calls to action? (These are dropping all charges for Gardea, allowing an independent investigation of what happened and holding a district meeting with the nonprofit and the parents they represent.)
- “EISD acted in accordance with policies, trainings and a consistent Board Meeting cadence. We will continue to reach out to the EISD parents who were present at the meeting and those who have contacted us; we will continue to listen and communicate in accordance with protocols.”
- Does Edgewood ISD believe this situation was handled appropriately?
- “The individual’s actions were not in alignment with the EISD Board Operating Procedures and Code of Ethics, necessitating their removal. To ensure productive dialogue and a safe space for everyone present, we ask all participants to adhere to the established procedures and decorum that guide our board meetings.”
- Why did Edgewood ISD pursue the charges of resisting arrest, criminal trespass and disrupting a meeting?
- “According to our Chief of Police, Ms. Gardea’s actions violated Texas Penal Code 38.04, Texas Penal Code 30.05 and Texas Penal Code 42.05, resulting in the charges.”
The Bexar County District Attorney’s Office told KSAT that on Friday, Aug. 22, the office would decide if it will prosecute the three charges for Gardea.
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