By CAMERON LANGFORDCourthouse News
BROWNSVILLE, TX. Aug. 25, (CN) - The Brownsville Independent School District misdiagnosed students with bogus psychological tests in "an effort to profit at the expense of children with special needs," and get federal and state funding, the former head of the district's "special services" department claims in Federal Court.
Medicaid fraud investigator, the Cameron County District Attorney's Office, a Texas Ranger and the FBI, to report what he believed was "systemic fraud and abuse of the system."
Rendon claims that a consulting firm BISD hired to review the tests determined they were "not scientifically valid."
[click here http://www.courthousenews.com/2010/08/25/Brownsville.pdf ]
Arthur Rendon says BISD directors fired him after he contacted a
He claims the district's legal counsel and Corpus Christi attorney Christopher Jonas, who represented BISD parents and their "special needs children," profited from the testing, as it led to excessive due process hearings about the children's educational needs, and "outrageous" bills for legal services.
The BISD placed Rendon on a 1-year paid suspension, then fired him in retaliation for reporting the fraud to authorities, he says in his 26-page complaint.
Rendon sued BISD, its Board of Trustees, and the district's interim Superintendent Brett Springston.
He seeks reinstatement, annual damages of $102,000 - his salary, and damages for defamation, whistle blower retaliation and constitutional violations.
Rendon is represented by Frank Perez and Star Jones of Brownsville.
Bilingual education programs can bring federal money to a school district, as can "special ed" programs for children who score poorly on standardized tests - a common occurrence for children who speak English as a second language.
Fast-growing Brownsville, pop. 177,000, is the closest major U.S. town to the mouth of the Rio Grande, on the U.S.-Mexico border. Its minority population exceeds 92 percent. Its median income of $27,769 is about 55 percent of the Texas and U.S. median incomes. "Poverty level" income for a family of 4 is $22,050, according to federal standards. More than 36 percent of Brownsville residents qualify. Unemployment in the city is 13 percent.
28 comments:
Hey, just asking: Are BISD teachers morons? I think far too many of BISD's teachers are morons and oblivious to the students and their surroundings. Every year I help a child by buying them their clothes and supplies. Yesterday I spent $15.00 alone on hand sanitizer liquid, hand sanitizer wipes, and anti-bacterial cleaning wipes. Three different teachers requested three different items. In middle school teachers work in teams. To these morons it would never occur to them to work as a team and decide on one item. These morons have no idea of where they live - poor Brownsville - and have no idea of the needs of their students - but yet they teach. Now someone will say why did I buy the three items instead of just one? This child suffers from low self esteem. I needed for her to feel like she is ready for school. She is scared about being in 6th grade. My goal is to relieve her fears and make her feel good about the new school. If teachers cannot connect with the emotional needs of the students, how can they teach? It is like a friend in Dallas told me this morning - public school teachers have become robots - emotionless, and themselves incapable of thinking. The BISD school board opposes the hiring of competent teachers because they fear a rebellion. So the demise of education in Brownsville will continue.
El Mofle
I do not use bad words, but after reading the entire court document, I bet I used every single bad word in the Venacular Dictionary of South Texas. These crooks have got to go! We can not let them think they can pull the wool over our eyes anymore - more than what they have done already. Bola de ratas! No mouse trap is big enough to crucify all of them, starting with Colunga, followed by Zayas, Cortes, Aguilar, Saldana and Fuller. No te dejes Mr. Rendon - dales en the you know what!
Teachers are not morans, you on the other hand is the moran. Until you have been in a classroom you will know what teaching is all about. I'm talking to you mofle.
Go get them Art, another lawsuit against these IDIOTS, Let's VOTE THEM OUT.
Turning our border into a military zone is never a good idea, but the time is here. Bell Hall at UTEP was hit with a bullet from Juarez. If you look at the map Bell Hall is in the lower right quadrant - look for Wiggins Drive. Above the "D" is Bell Hall. This means the bullet had to have gone up into the air and came down into Bell Hall. This bullet cut across campus. On the other side of IH 10 is a hill. You go down the hill to railroad tracks. On the other side of the railroad tracks is the river. I have no idea where the wall exists in El Paso, but a 100 ft wall would not have stopped this bullet. When we consider the growing violence in Matamoros and Reynosa, it is a formality before people on the U.S. side of the border are victims. No wall is going to stop the violence or the impact on the U.S. side of the border. A car bomb or hand grenade does not know a U.S. national from a Mexican national. Again no wall will solve the problem. But, a fear of U.S. troops may send a message to these criminals that there will be consequences. We know our special forces are already operating in Mexico. I suspect we also have drones not only on the border, but also in the interior. Mexico needs to quietly agree to allow our unmanned drones to target the leaders of the drug cartels. With large numbers of troops on the border, and a direct U.S. war on the drug cartel leaders, maybe just maybe they will take the war away from the border area. No wall is going to save us. I know the American people - the second a U.S. citizen is killed the American people will demand action. The U.S. cannot enter Mexico in large numbers. This must be done with covert operations with the consent of the Mexican government. But for now a very visible force of strength may send a message. It may also force Mexico to consent to more U.S. covert help.
Dilbert De Leon
Brownsville,please clean up your act.
Just because he's suing and the suit, of course, is written favorably for Mr. Rendon doesn't mean it is true. Hopefully the district will hold its ground and not settle his unfounded demands. Those that know the real story know that Rendon did not do his job, that the due process hearings were directly related to his inability to manage, that he hired friends and removed competent individuals, that he destroyed the testing program, increased the special education administration, decreased the instructiuonal program and created a complete disaster of the program's budget. How can this person even begin to think that he was removed unjustly.
Hey Juan, your Nazi friend Tony "El Vendido" Chapa from MyHarlingenNews just endorsed John Wood for county judge, no reason given, except that right next to the endorsment was an Advertisement from Wood For County Judge. So much for Tony "Mr. Integrity" Chapa which proves, once again, that a little money will turn a bible thumper like Chapa into an ordinary politiquera who for money is willing to sell his soul and convince others to vote for Wood. At least when you do the same thing, Mr. Montoya, you don't endorse or try to influence others so blatantly to vote for whoever gives you money. But just watch, Chapa will kill any comments that criticize him for selling out.
Zayco needs to go. How convienent that one's wife and another cousin (La Trevi) got hired and then both were principal at Sharp. La Trevi didn't cut the mustard at the elementary school. Battling parents so they moved her to a middle school. Her ants are very upset but over all the changes made but afraid to speak up since the board members will support her. Brownsville herald and everyone else needs to know how she has upset the ants and made changes not in the best interest of the students. Surely the kids will suffer.
No tenen verguenza. Enough is Enough.
out with zayas,
out with cortez,
out with otis (el otra vez).
All Otis Powers cares about is promoting his relatives. Just look at every single Atkinson. He just got Sylvia Atkinson hired, by threatening that she would run for the board. Imagine where Sylvia will land if he gets elected.
We're going to go from Guatamal to Guatapeor!
Blogger 8 - you must be one of the puppets who works with Jimenez or even maybe herself. If the incidents documented on the suit are not true, they will be proven in court, but all hell is going to break lose when they are exposed. I am sure that no one wants to lose a case because of facts that are not true, so why would Rendon consider to insist on this. I only wish that Gonzales had done the same because we all know that everyone who testified lied thru their teeth because they were afraid of the board - Saldana, Fuller, Pineda, Sanchez, and every other clown they got to testify against Hector. His so called Lawyer Ruben Pena was probably also scared, for he did absolutely nothing at the hearings. I will be the first one at court to hear all the facts under oath. I wish that Judge Darrell Hester were here to preside over the case and to give everyone una ch----! Go for it Art!
THE TRIBUNE is Endind... Long Live Mr. ALCATRAZ !!!
(Long live Mr. ALCATRAZ)
Es JOTO ese bato.
Ren.
Anonymous, Go back and check Rendon's record of employment. When his compadre got him a job at Faulk he failed to solve or deal with any problems at the school. HE WAS NEVER AROUND!!! I was a teacher there, I saw it daily. His compadre got him a job at Special Services and the result was catastrophic again. His laziness prompted him to click with a committee of individuals who were close friends who were already working in Sp. Sers. and the poor unqualified Assistant Principals he brought over from Faulk. The reason he got these individuals was to let them run the program because, as usual, he was never around to do any work. He got rid of the good people on the advise of his committee and brought in his poor incompetent friends. He ruined the great summer program for the ED students. He had no knowledge or ability to run the Sp. Sers. budget. The program was running good when Susan Fox was the director. The Village Idiot came in and ruined the whole program which was helping kids. The only individuals who support him are his relatives, compadres and close friends. Surely no one is going to believe he got the job because of his experience or ability. Guess WHY he got these positions? COMPADRISMO But that's ok Rendon. Keep on suing the district. You will never win and it will cost you an arm and a leg.
LET'S SEE.......
THE PROGRAM WAS RUNNING GOOD WHEN SUSAN WAS THE DIRECTOR, AND SHE GOT HER FRIEND FROM CALI AT 2K (THOUSAND) DAILY AND SUSAN LET HER STAY AT HER HOUSE FREE.
THE PROGRAM WAS RUNNING GOOD AND MIKE WAS MILKING THE LEGAL COW.
NOW WE HAVE ZAYAS AND CORTEZ MOVING THEIR RELATIVES (COUSINS, WIFE, MOVIDAS, RELATIVE'S FRIENDS, AND GIVING THEM RAISES.
WE MUST VOTE THEM OUT AND FIRE ALL THE LEECHES IN THE CARDBOARD BOX.
I was hired by Art Rendon and I am a teacher there. He was great. He was fair and always treated everyone with respect. I guess you are not a teacher there anymore, because he made sure to clean house of the incompetent teachers. Now Faulk is a recognized school with the staff that he built.
Vote for Lucy, Cristi and Escobedo.
To All,
I never knew Arturo Redon, but after reading the whole echilada everything makes sense.
Check item 128: Arturo Rendon worked as an educator at BISD for over 20 years without one write up or negative evaluation.
I respect Arturo Rendon for speaking for all the BISD employees.
Apparently BISD has a grivance SCAM, if you put a grivance you get a GAG LETTER FROM HUMAN RESOURCES MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO TRY AND DEFEND YOURSELF,you can't go to BISD and retrieve public records or talk to your friends and co-workers because they too get intimidated, but BISD is free to find dirt on you.
I too do not know Mr.Rendon, but the fact that he did not have a write up or neg evalu does not mean he was a great administrator at special services. Who checks up at the admins in the cardboard box?
Even if they mess up they are not fired they are shuffled to another position.
I don't see where Mr. Rendon speaks up for all employees, he is just looking up for #1 himself.
On other note yes if you read the BISD policy Human Resources does encourage the person to work it out with the admin and not file a grievance. In other words, you are up the creek without a paddle.
Teachers stand alone,have to take it and keep quiet because they will intimidate you and find ways to get rid of you.
To the comment writer of the village idiot, sounds like you were one of the ones that was cut out of one of those sweet summer jobs at special services. Rendon came in and quickly figured out that we were all scaming the system. I was one of those SE teachers and scammed with the rest of them until I realized that we were all making extra money on backs of disabled and disadvantaged kids. I am glad and feel better now that I am earning a honest living. Everyone ones knows that we were all faking it.......so fess up and thank Mr. Rendon for cleanig the whole mess up..
Dear SE teacher: please go forward and testify.
yes vote For Enrique,Daniel and Lucy. You Go!!!!!
VOTE LUCY, ENRIQUE AND DANIEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Vote for Powers, Escobedo, Zayas enough said...
Longoria Saavadra, Escobedo - a ticket for our children. No personal agendas, no under-the-table shenenigans. No favors! Bring back order to the board and lets get a president that has the guts to be the president on his own. I vote Caty Preses for board president. Please don't let Colunga come in a president - Please - P L E A S E !!!!!!!!! ppppppllllllleeeeeeaaaaaaassssseeeee!!!!!!
Incredible! This blog looks exactly like my old one!
It's on a completely different subject but it hhas pretty much the same layout and design. Suerb choice of colors!
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