PAC CONFRONTS ZAYAS-CORTEZ-POWERS WITH RECORD

By DefeatZayasCortezPowers PAC
Rick Zayas, Ruben Cortez, and Otis Powers say that it “all starts with education,” and that it’s “all about children,” and about “character and integrity.”
But how does the record compare to their campaign slogans?
How about how they manipulated the BISD grievance process to fire former Superintendent Hector Gonzales?

(OTIS POWERS was taped advising former Chief Financial Officer Tony Juarez to file a grievance against former Superintendent Hector Gonzales and that the majority of the board might give him back his job. The tape was admitted into evidence in federal court in Juarez's suit against the BISD and the majority on the board.)

Juarez: Well I know I don’t have any choice, but…
POWERS: Here’s the thing, the board hates Hector Gonzales. That’s your plus side...
Juarez: But how do I handle it?
POWERS: You...ah, personally, you have to get Hector back. He told you what to do and why you had to do it. That I can tell you. Did I talk to (JOE) COLUNGA for you, talked to (ROLANDO) AGUILAR for you, I talked to them all, even RICK ZAYAS.”

“OTIS POWERS has been linked to the conspiracy by Juarez’s conversations with (Elizabeth) Brito-Hatcher, and the statements in POWER's conversation with Juarez are also suggestive of a conspiracy to have Juarez file a grievance against another employee, Superintendent Gonzales.”

…“During her conversation with Juarez, Brito-Hatcher makes statements regarding what defendant ZAYAS and Saldana ‘wanna hear from him’ in a grievance they want him to file against Defendant Gonzales. She makes statements describing various relationships- e.g., ‘RICK and Saldana were partners…they were buds’ - that are relevant to the issue of whether or not a conspiracy existed.”
Last two quotes are from United States District Judge Andrew Hanen’s Order and Memorandum allowing case to go forward.
How about the majority on the board (Zayas, Cortez, Rolando Aguilar and Joe Colunga) participating on the cover-up of two audit reports on former Athletic Director Joe Rodriguez during his annual fundraisers using district personnel and resources without accounting to the distirct?
They went so far as to sue the Texas Attorney General to keep them secret.
In 2008, an investigation into whether there was inappropriate professional conduct by the Athletic Administrator and his secretary and receptionist (his wife and daughter) during his annual fundraisers was conducted. The findings of two audits were that they had:

*misappropriated funds
*converted or diverted district monies
*misused personnel
*approved falsified time cards
*harassed employees
*violated the Fair Labor Act

FINDINGS: "The allegation of inappropriate professional conduct by the Athletic Administrator was found to have merit. The allegation of alcohol use at the event also has merit. Additionally, "other...allegations" also have merit.”

The majority of the board refused to release the reports to the public after an individual made a request. Instead, they delayed by asking for an opinion from the Texas AG. When the Attorney General ruled the documents were open to the public, they sued him to suppress the reports. Instead of forwarding them to the District Attorney they gave the AD a nice fat retirement bonus at our expense.
Rember the brownie points that Zayas and Cortez wanted to make by suing HealthSmart
claiming the conmpany had oversdharged the district employees? Guess what? It was all a smokescreen meant to hide the fact that the district accepted a contract that put the BISD at a disadvantage. In fact, industry experts now say the district doesn't have a leg to stand on in the case.

“Juarez alleges that the trustee defendants sought his aid in ousting Gonzales, and they believed the superintendent was really behind his Stop-Loss recommendation (against Johnny Cavazos’ bid for $40 million contract with BISD).”

“Juarez reports that he has informed the FBI of the boad’s wrongdoing, including: (i) coercion regarding grievance against superintendent (ii) bidding practices regarding Stop Loss bids.”

“These facts, while perhaps not as vividly as the defendants would like, are sufficient to meet the law’s demand of identifying the precise speech that Juarez claims addressed a matter of public concern and triggered retaliation.”
United States District Judge Andrew Hanen’s Order and Memorandum allowing case to go forward.
STILL BELIEVE THAT ZAYAS, CORTEZ AND POWERS ARE “ALL ABOUT CHILDREN,” THAT “IT’S ALL ABOUT EDUCATION, “ “CHARACTER AND INTEGRITY?”
We did our part. Please do yours.