9-30-2005
THERE'S
THEFT, AND THEN THERE'S THEFT
Roosevelt
Chief Axed
Following
SAL Expose
But
It Ain't Over Yet
Express-News
Lifts SAL Story Without Attribution - Again
SAL
Political Snitch
As
reported here earlier this week, NEISD has found
a patsy to take the gaffe in the theft scandal at
Roosevelt High. (See stories below.)
Principal
Robert Todd was forced out following a series of
exclusive stories in the Lightning, which
detailed overlooked thefts by varsity football
players.
There is
much more to report on this story, including:
What did
NEISD honcho, Dr Richard Middleton, really know,
and when did he know it?
What
about the coaching staff?
More
about that on Monday.
* * *
Meanwhile, once
again, the Express-News has lifted the details of
our story without attribution.
You can spend 50
cents reading it in that paper, or you can peruse
it here for free, as we turn the tables and steal
their stuff. (Click for
related story.)
For comparative and
critical purposes only. We consider it fair use.
Only difference, we will
credit them for their work. SAL
corrections to the E-N appear in red.
The principal of
Roosevelt High will step down after a scandal
about five students getting preferential
treatment rocked his school, school district
officials announced Thursday.
Principal Robert
Todd told North East School District
officials Thursday that he would retire.
Todd, who
couldn't be reached for comment, was being
investigated for not appropriately
disciplining five students who took computer
equipment from the school and for failing to
report the incident to police.
"When we did
our investigation we found out the reports
were true," said North East
Superintendent Richard Middleton. "The
steps taken by Roosevelt administration did
not follow policy."
North East began
investigating the incident last month
following complaints that five football
players were not punished after it was
discovered they had taken some computer
monitors from the school in July. (Correction:
According to NEISD spokesperson Laura
Calderon the investigation began after an SAL
expose brought it to the attention of NEISD
officials. See stories below.)
At least some of
the monitors were returned, and Middleton
said district officials are doing a complete
audit of the school to find out if anything
else is missing.
District
officials would not confirm that the students
in question were football players because, by
law, they can't identify the students. (Correction:
The Lightning and WOAI have confirmed that
the students were varsity players.)
Spokeswoman Laura
Calderon said five Roosevelt students have
been punished and will spend the rest of the
school year at the district's alternative
high school.
Last week,
several Roosevelt defensive football players
who normally start for the team did not play
in the school's 30-27 loss against Madison
High. Coach Glenn Hill declined to comment on
why they were benched and when they would
return.
Middleton said
the district launched an investigation and an
audit as soon as he heard reports that
students had violated school district policy
and escaped punishment. (See
previous corrections above.)
Middleton said
the investigation revealed that the incident
was reported to Todd but never reported to
the police and didn't result in disciplinary
action.
During the
investigation, Todd said he didn't remember
the incident.
The school
district has forwarded information about the
thefts to the Bexar County district
attorney's office.
Middleton told
the school's faculty and staff late Thursday
that their principal would not be returning.
Vice Principal Randy Pommerening will be in
charge while the district seeks a
replacement, Middleton said.
"I'm looking
for a leader who can bring a new day to
Roosevelt," Middleton said of the
school, which also has posted poor test
scores recently. "I think we can bounce
back from this." - 30 -
More to follow,
- Developing -
* * *
9-29-30
WOAI
CONFIRMS
ROOSEVELT
TOP VARSITY
FOOTBALL
PLAYERS BENCHED
Could Face
Theft Charges Following SAL Expose
SAL
Political Snitch
UPDATE; SINCE THE
FOLLOWING STORY WAS POSTED IN THE LIGHTNING
WEDNESDAY MORNING, WOAI HAS CONFIRMED THAT FIVE
TOP VARSITY FOOTBALL PLAYERS HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED
IN THE THEFT OF COMPUTER EQUIPMENT AT ROOSEVELT
HIGH, AND THAT THEY MAY BE PROSECUTED...CLICK
FOR WOAI STORY.
9-28-2005
LIKE
PULLING TEETH
Roosevelt High School
Equipment
Theft Scandal Is Far
From Over
NEISD Denies
'Coverup'
Student Thieves Have
Been 'Disciplined'
SAL POLITICAL Snitch,
Copyright 2005
In
an apparently stunning lack of concern for
taxpayers' money, 5 athletes at Roosevelt High
have been 'disciplined' but not arrested for
stealing computer screens from the school.
(See
archived stories below.)
Insiders
claim the light-fingered students are getting
preferential treatment because they are athletes
at the school. Officials refuse comment on that.
Meanwhile,
Roosevelt Principal Robert Todd, remains on
administrative leave, ostensibly for violating
school policy.
Tattlers
say the slow moving NEISD administration is
trying to find a patsy to take the gaffe on this
one -- maybe a couple of patsies
The
Lightning has learned that coaching personnel
have also been questioned, along with as many as
thirty others at the school.
The
actions resulted from an expose in the Lightning
last month.
* * *
Here's
what the NEISD handbook says should
have been done:
"In serious
cases of student misconduct where there is a law
violation, administrators are required to notify
the appropriate law enforcement agency of the
violation."
- NEISD Handbook Page 39
That didn't happened,
until after
our story.
Meanwhile Laura
Calderon has denied to the Lightning that there
is a "coverup," and sent the following
email to the Lightning late Tuesday afternoon:
You
have inquired about the status of the students
involved in the computer thefts at
Roosevelt. The district has
completed the investigation that focused on
the students who took the computers. Five
students were found to have been involved in this
incident. Appropriate disciplinary action
was taken with all five students. Due to the
federal law Family Educational Rights and Privacy
Act (FERPA), I cannot provide or confirm
information such as their name, class or whether
they are athletes. The investigation
focusing on the Roosevelt administration and
inventory are underway.
Of
course, the handbook also says such students
would be barred from athletic competition, which
could go a long way in explaing the events and
slow moving probe.
Perhaps
the 'very thorough' investigation will be
completed by the end of football or basketball
season.
More
to follow.
-
Developing -
* * *
Previous
Stories
9-13-2005
VARSITY
ATHLETES INVOLVED
Popular Roosevelt
High Coach
Eyed In Equipment
Theft Coverup
Principal Remains On
Administrative Leave
As NE School District
Leads A Plodding 'Investigation'
SAL Political Snitch
- Copyright 2005 San Antonio Lightning Newspaper
A popular sports
coach at Roosevelt High is under investigation in
the slow but ongoing probe of computer equipment
thefts by students, the Lightning has learned.
The situation came to
light following an expose in the Lightning. Until
then, NEISD officials were unaware of the thefts.
(See stories below.)
According to sources,
the coach became involved because the thefts were
committed by athletes at the school.
Here's how the deal
got done, according to an insider. When computer
equipment was found missing...
"A
teacher of DATA (Design and Technology
Academy)... found a bag of trash on the floor
and remembered that he had seen several
varsity...players picking up trash around the
building. He told the director of the
DATA that ... things were missing and
that he had a hunch that the (athletes) had
stolen it. The director told Mr. Todd (the
principal) what had happened and since it
involved ... players he told the ... coach
... to handle the problem. Coach ... then
told the ... players that they had been
caught and that they should return the
computers. That same day the ... players
returned the computers and (the coach) didn't
mention the incident to NEISD police or SAPD.
Their punishment was to visit with a role
model student a few days a week to discuss
what had happened and to receive
"counseling" so that they would
stay out of trouble."
NEISD
spokespersons say an investigation is still
underway, but have announced, and then dismissed,
a number of deadines.
What else
could be hidden in this taxpayer abusing
situation?
More to
follow.
-
Developing -
* * *
- Previous Stories
-
9-1-2005
INVESTIGATION
CONTINUES
Roosevelt Principal Suspended
Principal
Robert Todd On
Administrative Leave After
Copyrighted
San Antonio Lightning 'Student Theft' Expose
Express-News Finally Runs Story
Without Crediting The Lightning
SAL Political Snitch
- Copyright 2005 San Antonio Lightning Newspaper
Almost
a week ago the Lightning told our readers about a
theft and coverup at the North East Independent
School District's Roosevelt High School.
Students
who had stolen school computer equipment had been
caught, but the incident was never reported.
Until
the Lightning story, it was an "unknown
event." (See stories below.)
Now,
a full-blown audit and investigation are under
way at that institution of higher learning,
though, except for facts revealed in this
publication, the School District is in a lip-zip
grip.
Officials
have
admitted that it took the Lightning expose to
thrust this incident into the glare of public
scrutiny.
Monday,
Principal Robert Todd was relieved of duty
pending the outcome of that probe.
Scapegoat
or villian, we don't know.
We
will find out.
* * *
Meanwhile, speaking
of "theft," there is an important
side-bar to this story, which we don't want you
to miss.
Express-News, after
almost a week, has picked up our copyrighted
stories, but has given us no attribution.
Legally, E-N probably
doesn't have to do so. They can simply say they
"learned" the details.
But for a newspaper
that has been caught up in plagiarism situations
twice in recent memory, this Snitch suggests E-N
be more diligent in crediting other's work.
The fact that the
story was buried deep in the paper does not
mitigate that fact.
Editor Robert Rivard,
shape up! (Click for
related story.)
As the City media's
self-appointed expert on ethics, you should know
better.
More to follow.
- Developing -
* * *
8-29-2005 2:30PM
WHAT A THOROUGH
INVESTIGATION!
North East
Independent School Theft Scandal Probe Plods
Along
The plodding
investigation of computer equipment thefts by
students at Roosevelt High is nowhere near the
end, according to an NEISD spokesperson.
The process could
take as much as three more days before any
results are noted, according to PR official Laura
Calderon.
At least $1,200 worth
of flat screen monitors were swiped by -- and
then recovered from -- the sticky- fingered
students. (See previous stories below.)
The incident came to
light only after San Antonio Lightning exposed
the pilferage which had taken place in July.
Students were caught by a school employee. But,
as NEISD has already admitted, the theives were
never reported to campus or City police, as
District rules and State law require.
Other disappearances
have also been noted at another District school.
More as it becomes
available.
- Developing -
* * *
8-27-2005
COVERUP OF A
COVERUP?
UPDATED
NEISD Spokesperson
Calderon:
Q: 'Did They Tell You
To Just Shut The Hell Up?'
A: 'Yes'
North East
Independent School District officials and campus
police are dodging and weaving, faster than a
quarterback chased by a rhinocerous, following
the Lightning's revelation Wednesday that student
computer thefts had been coverered up by
Roosevelt High personnel. (See stories below.)
NEISD Spokesperson
Laura Calderon went into lock-down mode Thursday,
saying she was told not to comment anymore on the
"investigation," though the day before
she had granted an interview to the Lightning as
well as speaking on the Carl Wiglesworth show,
KAHL 1310 AM radio, and confirmed the Lightning's
story.
But then...
Calderon:
"I can't comment because it is under
investigation."
Lightning:
"Did they (NEISD managers) tell you to
just 'shut the hell up?'"
Calderon:
"Yes."
Other questions
Calderon dodged:
How many kids
were involved?
Are they
involved in athletics?
What
"discipline" was taken?
Why did
administrators ignore the very rules they
listed in the District's handbook?
What should
we tell the taxpayers?
(Editor's Note: Since
this story was first posted, the following Email
was received by the Lightning.)
Mr.
Griffing--I am in receipt of your message for
an update on the Roosevelt situation.
Your story today, which quotes me as
responding "yes" to the question,
"Did they tell you to just shut the hell
up?" is false. Because of this, I
am providing this written statement--The
Roosevelt theft is still under
investigation. Thank you.
Laura
Calderon, NEISD
The
Lightning stands by its quote.
* * *
* * *
- Previous Story -
8-24-2005
LIGHTNING
EXCLUSIVE - NOON UPDATE-
NEISD Scandal Expands
Computer Equipment
Theft At Roosevelt Hidden
Lightning Exposé
Forces Criminal Probe, Inventory, Audit
SAL Political Snitch - Copyright 2005 San Antonio
Lightning Newspaper
UPDATE - OUTSIDE FIRM
TO CONDUCT AUDIT
STUDENTS INVOLVED NOT
REVEALED.
Following the
shocking disclosure by the Lightning, on
Wednesday, that computer equipment thefts at
Roosevelt High School by students had been kept
secret, North East Independent School district
has launched a criminal investigation and full
internal audit of that school. (See previous
story below.)
Laura Calderon,
spokesperson for the district, told the Lightning
and KAHL 1310 AM radio, that the district was
completely unaware of the situation, until the
Lightning informed them Wednesday morning.
The extent of the
thefts and how they went unreported by school
officials are still being probed.
More to follow.
- Developing -
* * *
- Previous Story -
8-24-2005
YOUR SCHOOL
DOLLARS AT WORK
Hijacked At High
School
Theft Of Computer
Equipment
By NEISD Students
Hushed Up?
SAL Political Snitch - Copyright 2005 San Antonio
Lightning Newspaper
It began as a theft
by students in the The North East Independent
School District.
The thieves were
caught flat-footed with at least 4 flat-screen
computer monitors. Value, roughly, $1,200.
Roosevelt High
School.
It happened in July.
But at no time were
the police -- either City or NEISD authorities --
ever told of the case. Until now.
That is a violation
of the school district's own guide lines, which
state:
"In
serious cases of student misconduct where
there is a law violation, administrators are
required to notify the appropriate law
enforcement agency of the violation."
- NEISD
Handbook Page 39
 |
|
When the
Lightning contacted NEISD headquarters,
even Dr Richard Middleton, top dog of the
massive school district, was unaware of
the thefts, according to Spokesperson Deb
Caldwell. The situation
was finally confirmed to the Lightning by
school officials.
School police
are now investigating the incident.
|
The light-fingered
kids, said by school insiders who tattled to this
reporter, are "privileged kids." They
were "disciplined," and the whole
matter seemingly forgotten.
But wait just a
tax-pickin' minute!
How much pilferage is
going unreported at our highly expensive and
mediocre public schools?
Is coverup too harsh
a word?
We are awaiting word
from Dr Middleton on these and other issues.
* * *
Yes, this is the same
Dr Middleton who lamented, just yesterday, that
Governor Perry's "35/65" edict, which
mandates that 65% of school taxes go directly to
the classrooms, and 35% to other school
functions, would be disastrous.
"We may have
to do away with a number of our nurses,"
Middleton told Express-New, insinuating in a
sinister sort of way, that as many as 75 percent
of the district's nurses could be fired.
Scare tactics
aside, Middleton has some splainin' to do.
And so do the folks
at Roosevelt High School.
More to follow.
-
Developing -
* * *
