LIVE OAK, Texas – Judson Independent School District trustee Jose Macias Jr. is not allowed on district campuses or at district events for a minimum of five months after being censured at a recent board meeting.
Board President Monica Ryan said the censure stems from unfounded accusations by Macias and from an interview Macias did with KSAT at Judson Middle School in early March.
Macias brought KSAT Reporter Zaria Oates and a photographer onto Judson Middle School’s campus for an interview after school hours. Employees at the middle school allowed the interview to take place in an empty classroom.
Ryan said not requiring anyone to sign in to enter the campus was a breach of security. She also mentioned the photographer using the bathroom being an issue because “there were still students around,” she said.
“That is just a very serious security protocol,” Ryan said. “We are all well-trained on security. We have to take annual training on school safety and security.”
KSAT asked Ryan whether additional people are also being reprimanded for the interview taking place on campus, and she said she is not sure because the board is now in the process of providing the superintendent with the information.
The censure of Macias follows the school board’s vote to terminate former Superintendent Milton “Rob” Fields. Fields was terminated for several issues outlined here and explained in around 3,000 documents, according to Ryan.
Fields was supposed to meet with KSAT for an interview, but decided not to just days later.
“Unfortunately, JISD Board President Monica Ryan has chosen to continue making false, inflammatory statements about Dr. Fields in the media,” Fields’ attorney, Tiger Hanner, wrote in an email to KSAT. “He does not want to continue fanning the flames by engaging in a public conflict with Ms. Ryan or her supporters on the Board. The focus needs to return to the students, teachers and staff.”
However, in a written response to KSAT before her sit-down interview, Ryan addressed Fields’ claims he made in his first statement since the termination process began.
“Given the seriousness of the allegations now being circulated, I would expect any claims of fabrication or misconduct to be supported by specific, verifiable evidence,” Ryan wrote.
Macias has been outspoken against Ryan for months as the termination process for Fields was ongoing. Macias believes his newly established censure is retaliation by the board president for his stance on the termination.
“Many of those allegations are quite defensible,” Macias said. “It’s laughable to say that the superintendent was responsible for our deficit, which is one of the allegations.”
Macias and Ryan’s issues tend to spill outside of the boardroom and onto social media without being addressed head-on by the two of them.
“There’s ways you can find points of common interest,” Ryan said. “I’ve been trying to do that with Mr. Macias for months and months and months until he blocked my phone number.”
Macias told KSAT he did block Ryan’s phone number. He also said he is considering litigation because of the sanctions against him.
“The type of decorum in the boardroom, the focus on politics, the mean-girl spirit of things, we’re in a bad place,” Macias said.
KSAT asked both Macias and Ryan how they plan to move forward with the district and students in mind, considering slipping academics and declining enrollment are major factors in how the district is assessed.
“We just have to remember our role as adults, which is setting the example for the kids, which means we own our actions, accountability starts with us,” Ryan said.
“It is a bad time in Judson, but I can tell you, I’m going to do what I can to ensure that student success is met,” Macias said.
State Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins is stepping in to ensure the students and staff across the district remain in focus.
Gervin-Hawkins is hosting a town hall at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 2, at her district office to discuss school closures, transparency and clarity. Her office is located at 3503 NE Parkway, Suite B.
“The purpose of this meeting is to ensure transparency and clarity regarding the roles and responsibilities of the Judson ISD School Board, the Texas Education Agency (TEA), and my office as your State Representative,” Gervin-Hawkins wrote in a statement.
More Judson ISD coverage on KSAT: