Thursday, February 16, 2017

DID ALL THESE PORTER PEOPLE PAY/RETURN $995 RINGS?


By Juan Montoya
As the Joe Rodriguez/BISD Ring Gate scandal festers at the school district, questions have popped up over the 11 non-players who received the $995 rings from Herrf Jones, a ring maker.

Superintendent Esperanza Zendejas and BISD trustee Joe Rodriguez each received a complimentary $995 ring from Herrf Jones, a sister company of BSN Sports, for which Rodriguez is a registered vendor.

Zendejas and Rodriguez were given a free ring as a "credit." (Click on bottom graphic to enlarge.)
As such, they were not included in the $31,025 total that the company listed on its invoice. Did they return the rings or did they keep them since they were gifts and not included in the total?

However, the $25,060 for the rings given to the 29 soccer players in the 5A Soccer championship team has not been paid and the BISD board is trying to figure out how to "fix" the problem. UIL rules prohibit student athletes from receiving any gift over $50 at the risk of losing their amateur status. Coaches who accept anything over $500 can be suspended. If the entire team is guilty, the team can be suspended from competing in UIL-sponsored competition.

It is obvious that the district does not want to go back and ask the players for the rings. And Zendejas has stated on the record that all the non-players have paid for their rings. Really?

It would be interesting to know if the following individuals at Porter and the BISD have shelled out the $995 each for the rings that they received. Have they?

Coach Adrian Navarro
Coach Antonio Serrano
(P) Mario Esteves
Coach Eduardo Buentello
Principal Hector Hernandez
Teacher Amanda Gonzalez
Asst. Coach T.D. Campos
Coach Jose Espitia
Teacher Adrian Ramos
BISD Board Trustee Joe Rodriguez
Superintendent Esperanza Zendejas 

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Que te valga Juan - why do you assume your the moral compass of this town?

Anonymous said...

The taxpayers and parents who support BISD don't just accept corruption, they demand corruption. And we get a lot of corruption and never do parents or taxpayers take any action to correct the problem. And obviously there is no "in house" system to tackle corruption. Teachers of BISD will write letters to the President when they don't like a nominee for Secy of Education, but those same teachers will sit on their asses and accept corruption in their own house.

Anonymous said...

There rings are for being brown and having palanca in Browntown. Let them keep them, they have earned them. It is their birthright.

Anonymous said...

Submit a formal FOI reqeust for any and all payments for the said rings by the individuals listed.

Proud Liberal said...

It is not a question of being the moral compass; it is a question of "Where is the transparency and accountability when it comes to taxpayer dollars?"

Anonymous said...

Juanito, check and see if Joe Rodriguez has any of this "bad boys" on file and by bad boys, I mean ETHICS CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURES

It's in Local and Legal Policy BBFA - EXHIBIT A !!!

ETHICS BBFA
CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURES (LEGAL)
DATE ISSUED: 11/2/2015 1 of 8
UPDATE 103
BBFA(LEGAL)-P
If a local public official has a substantial interest in a business entity
or in real property, the local public official shall, before a vote or
decision on any matter involving the business entity or the real
property, file an affidavit stating the nature and extent of the interest
if:
1. In the case of a substantial interest in a business entity, the
action on the matter will have a special economic effect on
the business entity that is distinguishable from the effect on
the public; or
2. In the case of a substantial interest in real property, it is reasonably
foreseeable that an action on the matter will have a
special economic effect on the value of the property, distinguishable
from its effect on the public.
The affidavit shall be filed with the official recordkeeper of the district.
[See BBFA(EXHIBIT)]
Local Gov’t Code 171.004(a)–(b)

Anonymous said...

The other big problem is that Teachers don't VOTE during BISD elections. So they shouldn't complain....and you're right, especially when it comes to VOTING, they sit on their asses and accept corruption in their own house!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Once again, where is the County DA, Luis Saenz, in all of this?

Anonymous said...

No ring is worth more than the one YOU pay for when you graduate FROM COLLEGE. You have a DEGREE, you EARNED a ring that YOU (or your parents) pay for. A High School sport ring is NEVER a must have. Before the current Porter group(and the Rivera group) had state championships in soccer, there was another group of students (10 or 15 yrs before) that got Porter their first state championship. Did these students get a ring? If not, then this was nothing more than a CORRUPTED BOARD with CORRUPTED principal going along.
What was back then good enough for the goose, it should be good enough today good for the gander.

Anonymous said...

Amanda gonzalez?
How did she "earn" a ring?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous at 12:41.....before posting ignorant comments , at least, try to use the correct words. "Their "is the word you need, you simpleton .

Anonymous said...

This is what happens when theUIL finds out. http://blogs.houstonisd.org/news/2014/08/15/yates-boys-basketball-team-declared-2013-2014-state-champs/

Anonymous said...

Pretty serious stuff but who cares, apparently not Dr. Z or Joe Rodriquez, he can do whatever he wants because he doesn't give a shit, only cares about whats in it for HIM. So Herff Jones did the rings at Rivera Soccer Team when they won, ask Amy Garza at Rivera HS if she got a FREE ring and the Coach's at that school, also ask crooked Joe Rodriquez and Dr. Z. if he got the rings free. If I was a betting man I would bet that they did, that's why they pushed for Herff Jones to do the rings at Porter so they can get their FREE rings again. Herff Jones has to give their rings away to administration just ask Hidalgo when they won. Luis Garza from Herff Jones is self serving and is the problem just like Joe Rodriquez and his associates. B.I.S.D. should ban Herff Jones for even putting the students and Coach's in HARMS WAY. They (Luis Garza) should know the U.I.L. rules, ignorance does not give a big company like Herff Jones a pass to do business as usual when it comes to endangering amateur status or team status or even a school district status with U.I.L. because of ignorance. Shame on Herff Jones (Luis Garza), Joe Rodriquez and everyone involved that KNOWS BETTER. T.E.A. needs to INVESTIGATE.

Anonymous said...

There is no Amanda gonzalez listed as a teacher on the porter early college high school website
www.bisd.us/porter

Anonymous said...

BISD CORRUPTION...TEXAS RANGERS WHERE ARE YOU? D.A. SAENZ WHERE ARE YOU? FBI WHERE ARE YOU? Enough is enough!!!!!! All this spectacle is so sad.

Anonymous said...

Can a principal really fight the board can they derail their career like that? Is it worth the fight? Or would it be easier to accept the "gift" and not ask questions?

Anonymous said...

And the silence from the Brownsville Herald is deafening . Where's that retired educator Judi Rodriguez ? Is she still so proud of Zendejas and the rest of the corrupt board? Joe Rodriguez needs to go away, preferably to prison .

Anonymous said...

Ese Joe, what does he do with all the money he steals? Oh si.... las novias

CC Voter said...

You idiots in the BISD! Keep voting and allowing this crook, Joe Rodriguez make money because of his families foot hold! When will you learn you idiots? When will the Feds step in and start busting up this corruption?

rita