According to the report of the investigation conducted by Brownsville Co-Lead Internal Auditor Arvin Tucker into the procurement of 40 championship rings for the Porter Early College High School Championship Soccer Team, the trouble for the district started when Luis J. Garza, the vendor for ring maker Herff Jones, sent Porter coach Jose Espitia an invoice for $31,025 June 9, 2016.
The team had won the 5A District state championship on April 16, 2006.
Since school was out when the invoice was sent and students and administration at the high school were on vacation, the matter was not dealt with until classes resumed in September.
The 29 student/athletes were presented with the $885 rings on September 1 as were the 11 non players, among them Porter Principal Hector Hernandez, BISD board trustee Joe Rodriguez and Superintendent Esperanza Zendejas. According to the invoice Herff Jones sent the school, the rings presented to Rodriguez and Zendejas (valued at $995 each) were considered a "volume discount" and were not charged to the school on the invoice.
The non-players included coaches, teachers and assistant coaches who received rings worth $995, about $100 more than the students' rings.
When school resumed, principal Hernandez emailed Zendejas a copy of the invoice on Sept. 8 and told her "I am sending you this invoice because it was sent to the school. Could you please handle this for me? I am not sure who will be the responsible party for this?"
By that time, word had gotten out about the rings and Tucker states in his Dec. 12, 2016 report that "a tip from the citizen was received alleging inappropriate procurement practice applied to purchase approximately 40 Championship Rings...On or about June 9, an invoice (#02182118) was issued by the vendor to tjhe soccer team coach of Porter Early College High School which established that the purchase of those rings was initiated at the athletic department. This action was initiated without having funds appropriated for the purchase of these rings. Audit of Student Activity and Motivational Fund did not reveal any fundraiser conducted for the purchase of these specific rings."
The, the report continues, after Principal Hernandez received the invoice and forwarded it to Zendejas.
"Superintendent, realizing NOT having funds to pay for rings, negotiated with the supplier to donate 29 rings to be given to players and asked all non-players to pay for the rings they received from their personal funds."
This raises several red flags among some district watchers. First, if it is as Tucker states that the purchase was initiated at the athletic department, someone would have had to issue a purchase order. Apparently, Tucker says that there was no purchase order issued by the athletic department. Herff Jones representative Garza sent the invoice to coach Espitia. On a notation on the invoice, Tucker states that he spoke with Garza on December 12 at about 1:40 p.m.. but did not include any indication on who had ordered the rings.Another anomaly in this Anillogate is who authorized Zendejas to "negotiate" for the donation of the rings to the students. When the issue was brought before the board, Baltazar Salazar, the board's legal counsel, told them they could not violate their own policy to accept the "donation" after the fact.
He also pointed out that the donation had been made only after the salesman was aware that the investigation had been ongoing for the better part of two months. So if the board could not accept the donation and also could not pay the $25,020 for the student rings, how did Zendejas take it upon herself to negotiate with the ring vendor at all?
Another question lurking in the shadows is the role played by trustee Joe Rodriguez. Rodriguez is a vendor with BSN Sports, a sister company to Herff Jones under the umbrella of parent company Varsity Brands, a national sports equipment corporation. He was the recipient of one of the two $995 rings given the district as a "volume discount." Why just him and none of the others?
And curiously, Tucker's report does not mention who Garza had said ordered the rings from his company. If it wasn't the athletic department at Porter, or the principal or administration, who ordered them, then?
There is also some consequences if someone were to file a complaint with the UIL. UIL rules prohibit student athletes from receiving any gift over $50 at the risk of losing amateur status. The UIL could declare the players ineligible to participate in UIL sponsored sports. It could also impose sanctions on the entire team and ban their participation in soccer competition. There is precedent for this as the Dallas Independent School District’s Madison High School was stripped of its two basketball championships after it was discovered that it had ineligible players in two championship games.
When any UIL contest is played and it is discovered that an ineligible player has competed in the contest, the minimum penalty is forfeiture of the contest, at any level-District play or State play.
If Porter defends its state title and it is discovered that some of the players (even one) received a $885 ring making them lose their amateur status, will they be stripped of the title if they win this year?
10 comments:
". . . . the invoice was sent and students and administration at the high school were on vacation, the matter was not dealt with until classes resumed in September."
Students do not attend school during the summer months but school administrators are working during those months. High School principals and main office administrators are all on twelve month contracts. Furthermore, the school administrators were definitely aware of the company making the rings for the students and the school personnel. The company had to measure each individual (students, coaches, and school administrators) for the specific size of ring for each individual receiving those rings. Your story has many holes on it and you keep writing the same article over and over.
DR ZENDEJAS NEEDS TO GO !!
dr z does not like to here the truth she needs to go now .
we need to hire teachers at bisd, we have substitutes for our students to whole school year.
Dr. ZENDEJAS its time to say bye bye to BISD ..........
If these people are so guilty, what are they doing in office? shouldn't they be removed already?
1. They won't win this year.
2. They would be stripped of last year's title not future titles.
Blah Blah Blah, treachery lurks when Joe Rod BSN and Luis Garza Herff Jones are involved. Look the damage that has been done, rules clearly have been VIOLATED what next, it's very simple, CUT THE CANCER OUT, Dr Z, Joe Rod and Luis Garza, enough is enough, stop chasing your tag like a dog, get rid of the cancer.
Blah Blah Blah, treachery lurks when Joe Rod BSN and Luis Garza Herff Jones are involved. Look the damage that has been done, rules clearly have been VIOLATED what next, it's very simple, CUT THE CANCER OUT, Dr Z, Joe Rod and Luis Garza, enough is enough, stop chasing your tag like a dog, get rid of the cancer. These people are to blame for endangering the team, school and District of any penalties that might be dealt out. These 3 individuals are SEASONED people at what they do so CLEARLY they know they DID WRONG AND BROKE UIL RULES, that simple.
Did Hector approve the buying of the rings? I hear he gave that teacher no one can identify as a teacher at Porter instead of an engagement ring. He is such a big
flirt that probably promised the sweetie something, like a state ring. If it was Campos, is that why he ran away so
quickly with permission from La Minnie Wienne? Quien sabe?
Don't leave us in suspense and confess!!!!
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