Uvalde superintendent retires, becoming latest local official to leave post after school shooting

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

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

The college district introduced Harrell’s impending retirement in a workers memo on Friday. And in a Fb publish relayed on his spouse’s account Sunday night, Harrell mentioned his resolution to go away the district after 31 years in training was “not made evenly and was made after a lot prayer and discernment.”

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

Harrell’s announcement was met with combined reactions from mother and father 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 removing for months, saying he must be held answerable 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 known as out Harrell, saying he failed to indicate management within the weeks after the capturing.

“You had a chance to be a beacon of hope and alter,” mentioned Marissa Lozano, whose sister Irma Garcia was one of many academics killed within the capturing and whose brother-in-law Joe Garcia died all of the sudden two days later. “As a substitute you’ve determined to cower and refuse to carry anyone accountable.”

Final week — hours earlier than the superintendent’s retirement was introduced — college officers suspended all actions of the district’s police division.

“Latest developments have uncovered further issues with division operations,” a district press launch mentioned. Lt. Miguel Hernandez, appearing district police chief, and director of pupil companies Ken Mueller have been positioned on depart. Different officers employed with the division will fill different roles within the district, in response to a press launch. Mueller determined to retire, the discharge mentioned.

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

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

For the earlier 10 days, activists, together with some relations of the youngsters killed at Robb Elementary on Could 24, camped outdoors the Uvalde CISD administrative constructing. 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 lastly did what they need to have achieved months in the past,” mentioned Ana Rodriguez, whose 10-year-old daughter, Maite Rodriguez, was killed within the capturing. “However why couldn’t it have been achieved earlier?”

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

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

Earlier final week, college officers fired a lately employed district police officer, Crimson Elizondo, a former Texas Division of Public Security 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 revealed by CNN, Elizondo will be heard saying that she might not have stayed outdoors the varsity if her youngster have been inside.

“If my son had been in there, I’d not have been outdoors,” she mentioned. “I promise you that.”