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Saturday, April 1, 2000

CCISD inquiry going to grand jury
Valdez: Bus question is most serious
By Darren Barbee
Caller-Times
District Attorney Carlos Valdez will seek indictments as quickly as possible against CCISD Superintendent Abelardo Saavedra on allegations that he tampered with district documents and abused his office, he said on Friday.
   The earliest that Valdez could present evidence to the grand jury is Thursday, but officials said there isn't a timetable for when the grand jury will hear the matter.
   "We are going to start, if we haven't started already, with transcripts of the court of inquiry proceedings for presentation to the grand jury," Valdez said.
   The court of inquiry, which was March 13-16, investigated allegations that Saavedra and some Corpus Christi Independent School District trustees misused public funds.
   Inquiry Judge Emil Karl Prohl of Kerrville released an eight-page report this week stating that evidence presented merits a grand jury consideration of misdemeanor charges against Saavedra, specifically tampering with a government record and abuse of official capacity.
   Valdez said he may call additional witnesses and obtain additional evidence before going before the grand jury.
   Saavedra, who could not be reached for comment, has said he did nothing illegal.
   Prohl also found that Saavedra's handling of a busing contract could constitute a felony charge and should be investigated further.
   Saavedra said earlier this week that the contract to bus special education students was handled properly and that the board was not deceived when trustees renewed it.
   Valdez, who was trying a capital murder case this week, reviewed the report for the first time Friday, and said he considers the busing contract to be the most serious allegation.
   Valdez said Saavedra should have cleared up the matter under oath in the court of inquiry. Saavedra used his Fifth Amendment privilege and did not testify.
   Valdez also will seek an indictment against Thomas "Buff" Marlin, a former assistant superintendent for business and financial affairs. Marlin charged $5,311 to district credit cards for visits to topless bars in Corpus Christi and Austin. Though Marlin paid the charges before the district incurred any costs, Prohl's report said that does not excuse a possible violation.
   Trustee reaction
   Trustee Pinky Brauer said she was pleased that Valdez would seek indictments.
   "We need to find out what is going on and do the best we can,'' she said.
   Trustee Manuel Flores said he was glad that Valdez would go to the grand jury as quickly as possible.
   "The quicker the better," Flores said, "So we can make a decision as to what we need to do with the leadership in our district."
   Trustees Vicki Rothschild, Frank Reyes and Rene Vela couldn't be reached Friday night.
   Trustee Dorothy Adkins said she wasn't surprised by Valdez's decision.
   "I've been in this district for 30-plus years, and I have never seen anything this devastating," Adkins said. "I think it's critical we get this district back on track."
   Administrative leave option
   Brauer said she thinks Saavedra should be put on administrative leave until the case is resolved.
   "Our policy is that when someone is accused of something, we put them on leave until they can be proven guilty or innocent,'' Brauer said.
   Saavedra has placed 26 CCISD employees on paid administrative leave since March 1999, some before the outcome of investigations. A majority of trustees have said they will not consider placing Saavedra on leave until the grand jury finishes its investigation.
   Placing Saavedra on administrative leave will be on the agenda of a special school board meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday. Flores, Reyes, Vela and Trustee Bill Hamrick have said they would vote against it.
   Saavedra has said he believes the discussion to place him on leave is premature.
   Hamrick, who has been subpoenaed for a hearing in an unrelated matter, will be out of town and said he cannot attend Monday's meeting.
   The meeting's agenda also includes discussion of resignations for Reyes, Flores, Adkins, Brauer and Rothschild. Rothschild, Adkins and Brauer are not named in the judge's report.
   According to the judge's report, Reyes and Flores may have abused their offices when purchasing tickets for family members and then failing to reimburse the district for as long as a year. However, the statute of limitations has run out on both violations, and Valdez said he would not seek indictments.
   'I think we've lost that'
   Adkins said she questions why the three female trustees should be asked to resign.
   "We've been through an internal audit, a (Texas Education Agency) audit and a court of inquiry and, to my knowledge, the three women are not cited with any violation," Adkins said.
   Flores said the request for resignations show that the board members are unable to work together.
   "We had a chance to mend some fences after the court of inquiry . . . and let the voters make a decision," Flores said. "Instead, we decided to continue the battles, which are quickly turning into a war.
   "We had a chance to show this community we can work together, and I think we've lost that," Flores said.
   'Crazy just to start off with'
   Hamrick said he thinks the entire board, including him, should resign.
   "This has been crazy just to start off with," Hamrick said. "Everybody on the board, including Bill Hamrick, needs to get off this board."
   Hamrick, whose term expires in May, is not seeking re-election.
   Brauer said she asked for the resignation of Reyes and Flores because she thinks trustees should be above reproach.
   She is amused that other trustees have asked that she, Rothschild and Adkins' resign.
   "They haven't found anything on us,'' she said. "I think the other board members got mad and put us on the agenda too, because we asked for their resignation."


Staff writers Mary Lee Grant and Aim‚e Courtice contributed to this report. Staff writer Darren Barbee can be reached at 886-3764 or by e-mail at barbeed@caller.com

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