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Monday, April 10, 2000
CCISD board to vote on apology to family
Court of inquiry questions over mental state of late executive secretary offended relatives
By Darren Barbee
Caller-Times
Joyce Francis loved chocolate pie, her grandchildren and, even as she battled cancer, her job as an executive secretary for the Corpus Christi Independent School District.
In 1995, in a Caller-Times South Texas Profile, she wrote that the best advice she had received was from her mother: "Treat people with the same respect with which you want to be treated."
Which is why lawyer's questions about her mental state in last month's court of inquiry into CCISD spending galled the family and friends of the deceased secretary.
The inquiry investigated allegations that some board members and Superintendent Abelardo Saavedra misused public funds, including money used for travel. At least three inquiry witnesses were asked about Francis, who kept the board's travel documents and who died in January 1999 at age 68.
Today, at the request of Trustee Dorothy Adkins, board members will vote to decide whether to say they are sorry with a written apology to the family at the board's 5:30 p.m. meeting.
"I think this will make the family feel a little bit better," Adkins said.
"I know the family is upset over this, as have been the staff and the community.
"I don't think this undoes the damage, but in a small way it's telling them there's some regrets," Adkins said.
The court of inquiry investigated allegations that Saavedra and some trustees misused funds.
Family members have said they felt questions about Francis were a legal strategy meant to divert attention from embattled Trustees Manuel Flores and Frank Reyes.
According to the inquiry 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.
The statute of limitations has run out on the possible violations involving Reyes and Flores.
In his report on the inquiry, Judge Emil Karl Prohl of Kerrville recommends that no action be taken against the two trustees.
Lawyer Rene Rodriguez, who represented Reyes, said he asked questions about Francis because he had received information that the secretary had been seen pulling out documents before she retired in August 1998.
"It was an inquiry, and I was asking questions about information that we had received from some employees," Rodriguez said. "I didn't accuse her of anything, I only asked questions."
Rodriguez said he has no plans to contact the family.
"I don't think it's necessary unless they give information that deals with this particular matter," Rodriguez said.
During the inquiry into allegations of misspending, David Bonilla, who represents Flores, asked witnesses whether Francis showed signs of disorientation because of her illness.
He also asked whether Francis shredded any travel documents. Testimony in the hearing indicated there wasn't a shredder when Francis was an employee and that she had not destroyed documents.
Flores has said Bonilla wasn't trying to slander anyone, just get to the bottom of documents that had gone missing.
Staff writer Darren Barbee can be reached at 886-3764 or by e-mail at barbeed@caller.com
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