Uvalde superintendent Hal Harrell retires

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The faculty board for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District on Monday signed off on the retirement of Superintendent Hal Harrell, including him to a rising checklist of native officers who’ve left their posts within the aftermath of the college capturing at Robb Elementary School earlier this 12 months.

After assembly in a closed session for greater than an hour, the college board unanimously permitted a movement to conduct a superintendent search.

The faculty district introduced Harrell’s impending retirement in a employees memo on Friday. And in a Facebook post relayed on his spouse’s account Sunday night, Harrell stated his choice to depart the district after 31 years in training was “not made lightly and was made after much prayer and discernment.”

Harrell will proceed in his publish till a brand new superintendent will be chosen, he stated within the publish.

Harrell’s announcement was met with combined reactions from dad and mom and activists. A crowd of Harrell’s supporters gathered outdoors the district administrative constructing Monday night, dressed within the district’s colours, maroon and white, many holding indicators thanking Harrell for his service.

Others have been calling for Harrell’s elimination for months, saying he ought to be held liable for the district’s failure to adequately put together for varsity shootings. In emotional public testimony in the course of the Monday assembly, a number of group members and victims’ relations referred to as out Harrell, saying he failed to point out management within the weeks after the capturing.

“You had an opportunity to be a beacon of hope and change,” stated Marissa Lozano, whose sister Irma Garcia was one of many lecturers killed within the capturing and whose brother-in-law Joe Garcia died out of the blue two days later. “Instead you’ve decided to cower and refuse to hold anybody accountable.”

Last week — hours earlier than the superintendent’s retirement was introduced — faculty officers suspended all activities of the district’s police department.

“Recent developments have uncovered additional concerns with department operations,” a district press launch stated. Lt. Miguel Hernandez, appearing district police chief, and director of scholar providers Ken Mueller have been positioned on go away. Other officers employed with the division will fill different roles within the district, in keeping with a press launch. Mueller determined to retire, the discharge stated.

The launch didn’t element why these officers have been positioned on go away, and emails to the district spokesperson went unanswered.

Included on Monday’s faculty board assembly agenda have been “deliberations concerning suspensions and terminations.” After the closed-door session, the college board didn’t announce any suspensions or terminations.

For the earlier 10 days, activists, together with some relations of the kids killed at Robb Elementary on May 24, camped outside the Uvalde CISD administrative building. The protesters demanded that the district droop its law enforcement officials till investigations into the officers’ response to the lethal capturing have been full.

“I’m glad that they finally did what they should have done months ago,” stated Ana Rodriguez, whose 10-year-old daughter, Maite Rodriguez, was killed within the capturing. “But why couldn’t it have been done earlier?”

The Texas Police Chiefs Association and JPPI Investigations, a non-public firm employed by the Uvalde CISD, are nonetheless investigating the law enforcement officials’ response to the bloodbath.

In August, the district fired the head of the police department, Pete Arredondo, who was broadly criticized for his response to the capturing, throughout which regulation enforcement took greater than an hour earlier than confronting the shooter, who was apparently in an unlocked classroom.

Earlier final week, faculty officers fired a not too long ago employed district police officer, Crimson Elizondo, a former Texas Department of Public Safety officer who’s amongst these below investigation for his or her response to the capturing, the deadliest in Texas historical past.

In body-camera footage from the day of the capturing printed by CNN, Elizondo will be heard saying that she might not have stayed outdoors the college if her baby have been inside.

“If my son had been in there, I would not have been outside,” she stated. “I promise you that.”