Uvalde school officials approve terms of superintendent’s retirement without publicly disclosing them

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UVALDE — The Uvalde college board accepted the phrases of Superintendent Hal Harrell’s retirement Wednesday, however didn’t disclose any particulars of his exit as chief of a college district nonetheless reeling from the worst college taking pictures in Texas historical past.

When voting on the retirement phrases, trustees referred to discussions that occurred behind closed doorways throughout an government session that lasted hours. Trustees then shortly introduced that Gary Patterson could be the interim superintendent. However trustees didn’t say when Harrell’s departure would take impact or when Patterson would start as his interim alternative.

The votes capped a gathering that obtained heated when residents and households of Robb Elementary taking pictures victims weren’t allowed to make public feedback about college security and different issues. On Could 24, an 18-year-old gunman killed 19 college students and two academics on the elementary college.

For months, some relations of taking pictures victims referred to as for Harrell’s resignation, arguing that he, and plenty of different college officers, must be held accountable for failing to arrange for a college taking pictures. A Texas Home committee investigation into the taking pictures offered a damning portrayal of a college district that had strayed from strict adherence to its security plan and a police response that disregarded its personal lively shooter coaching.

The board on Wednesday additionally accepted plans for the seek for a long-term superintendent, however once more solely referred to phrases disclosed behind closed doorways with out publicly disclosing them. Officers stated particulars in regards to the search course of will probably be posted on the district’s web site in a couple of week.

In the beginning of the assembly, some dad and mom and kin of the victims and survivors of the Could 24 taking pictures needed to make feedback about security plans, and what function college board member J.J. Suarez would play within the seek for a brand new superintendent. Suarez was a metropolis police officer who responded to the taking pictures.

Residents have been interrupted by the board’s lawyer and board members saying a few of the dad and mom had not beforehand signed as much as make public feedback or their feedback weren’t related to the agenda gadgets.

Attendees shouted on the lawyer to let individuals communicate. The board abruptly ended the general public remark interval and went behind closed doorways to debate the main points about Harrell’s retirement. After three hours, the board got here out to announce Patterson because the interim superintendent. Reporters have been cordoned off from viewers members and trustees all through the assembly.

Harrell introduced his choice to retire slightly below two weeks in the past. His pending departure is the most recent in a collection of college officers who’ve left, usually unwillingly, for the reason that taking pictures.

After the gunman entered the college Could 24, tons of of regulation enforcement officers from a number of native, state and federal businesses descended on the campus. Regardless of the pressing pleas from officers and oldsters amassed outdoors, officers inside the college stayed put outdoors the school rooms the place the gunman massacred his 21 victims. Officers waited greater than an hour earlier than confronting the gunman, contradicting regulation enforcement doctrine dictating that officers instantly confront lively shooters.

Simply previous to Harrell asserting his retirement earlier this month, college officers suspended your complete district police division after protesters held a dayslong protest outdoors the Uvalde CISD administrative constructing throughout which demonstrators referred to as for the elimination of all district officers till investigations into the police division’s response to the taking pictures are full.

That suspension of the small police drive got here on the heels of college officers firing a just lately employed district police officer after it grew to become public that she was one of many first state troopers to reach at Robb Elementary on Could 24.

In August, the college district fired the top of the police division, Pete Arredondo, who was extensively criticized for his response to the taking pictures. Final month, the Texas Division of Public Security stated it was investigating 5 of its 91 officers who responded to the taking pictures.

William Melhado contributed to this story.