Hal Harrell drew a crowd of supporters at a board assembly, however some households who misplaced family members within the bloodbath stated his departure was wanted.
DALLAS — It was virtually like there have been two Uvaldes on show.
Outside of the college board assembly was a sentimental sendoff.
Inside there was grief-fueled anger.
“How is it that you all are entitled to get a pass in the most violent school massacre in Texas?” Velma Lisa Duran, one among slain trainer Irma Garcia’s sisters, requested board members.
“You should have been fired or arrested for gross negligence, child endangerment, something.”
A spherical of applause adopted.
Outside, a crowd of Uvalde residents lavished reward on Uvalde’s faculty superintendent.
“This is overwhelming,” Hal Harrell stated to the adoring crowd earlier than the assembly started.
“When I walk away from here, I’m going to talk away with all the good memories,” he stated, including that there’s no place he’d fairly be than Uvalde.
Harrell joined the district as a trainer in 1992, according to his bio on the district website.
On May 24, a gunman shot and killed 19 college students and two academics inside Uvalde’s Robb Elementary.
More than 370 officers responded to the campus – some inside three minutes of the capturing.
But nobody entered the lecture rooms to both take out the shooter or attempt to save victims’ lives for 77 minutes
Uvalde CISD ultimately fired district police chief Pete Arredondo.
Several dad and mom camped exterior the district administration headquarters for 10 straight days, demanding the remainder of the district’s police power be suspended pending an impartial investigation.
During that protest got here the revelation {that a} DPS trooper who’d responded to the college and been placed on depart by the state whereas her actions have been investigated was then employed by Uvalde CISD.
Hours after the district suspended your entire power, Harrell introduced he was retiring.
Monday, the college board accepted his retirement and introduced it was hiring a search agency to start in search of his substitute.
Several households who misplaced family members expressed deep harm {that a} crowd got here to help him however not them.
“How dare you decide now that a job is at stake to come together, but you stayed home as we – the families – have been demanding transparency and accountability,” a tearful Kimberly Rubio stated on the microphone throughout Monday evening’s board assembly.
“I am disgusted by this community,” she stated.
Marissa Lozano, one other of Irma Garcia’s sisters, advised Harrell dwelling lengthy sufficient to retire is an “absolute blessing.”
“Irma will never get that chance,” she stated.
“You have a lot of supporters, good for you,” she advised him. “Regardless if you’re a good man or how many teachers you know by name, the fact remains you failed to protect Irma, Eva [Mirales] and those 19 babies. Your poor judgement and leadership cost people their lives.”
story by The Texas Tribune Source link