Just as the wheels of the gods grind slowly, so has the day of reckoning for Dr. Sylvia Atkinson, the Brownsville Independent School District trustee and former Texas Southmost College administrator who faces state and federal prosecutors in the respective courts.
And just as pensioners dread the end of the month, Atkinson also faces state and federal actions one day apart at the end of June.
On June 29, a visiting judge is scheduled to hear Cameron County District Attorney Luis V. Saenz's petition for removal or suspension from her position as a member of the board of BISD in the 107th District Court at 900 E. Harrison Street.
The very next day, on June 30, she will be in federal court down the street - at 600 E. Harrison - in United States of America vs. Sylvia P. Atkinson for her pre-trial conference on her trial for conspiracy and corruption. Her trial is scheduled before Federal District Judge Fernando Rodriguez, Jr. July 6.
The state's action to remove Atkinson from her position as BISD trustee is based on the pending federal charges. The DA's office successfully removed San Benito ISD board president Michael Vargas under Texas Local Government Code 87.15 after he was charged with DWI before he went to court on the charge.
Additionally, former BISD trustee Erasmo Castro - rather than go through the removal proceedings in state court - opted to resign rather than fight a similar DWI charge.On the other hand, Atkinson has, until today, chosen to contest her suspension or removal in state court and to fight the charges in federal court upon which the state removal petitions is based.
State law allows the presiding judge to remove or suspend an elected official pending the outcome of an action. Atkinson, as a condition of her bond in federal court, has been instructed not to engage in any business with the BISD and/or on behalf of BISD. She has not been allowed to attend any district function or BISD board meetings since her arrest.
At the crux of the federal government's case against Atkinson is a federal jury indictment issued December 11, 2019 charging her with one count of conspiracy, one of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, and six others based on Travel Act-bribery counts.
Federal government prosecutors allege that she participated in "a long-running scheme to solicit bribes from vendors seeking to obtain contracts with BISD and Rio Hondo ISD. The contracts would provide various goods and services to the school districts, including computer tablets, medical teleconferencing services and tutorial services...Atkinson allegedly solicited and received a $10,000 bribe from an undercover agent related to a film crew's potential use of BISD facilities for filming a purported Hollywood movie."
This would be bad enough, but Brownsville being Brownsville, there's always a political angle to most everything. Along the way, Atkinson rubbed several people the wrong way. One of those was the above-mentioned ex-BISD trustee Castro, who despite the DWI charge and resignation, is listed on the November general election ballot as a Republican in the general election in November against Democratic District 38 State Rep. Eddie Lucio III.
Castro has not only made noises that he might file to run for Atkinson's position on the BISD if she is removed, but has also pushed his religious-school buddy Jorge Luis Sifuentes to file against TSC chair Adela Garza for Place 1 on the TSC election which was moved from May to November as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.
Why against Garza? Castro considers Atkinson and Garza allies dating back to the days of their tenure at Los Fresnos ISD, one as an administrator and the latter as a board member.
Castro and Atkinson ended up butting heads on the BISD board, and he interpreted her employment at TSC as a signal of support by the TSC chair for Atkinson.
Ironically, Castro and Garza were former allies - she as a board member and he as a district resident - when both traveled to Austin to testify against the continued University of Texas-TSC "partnership" and the dissolution of the community college bill pushed by then-State Rep. Rene Oliveira and District 27 State Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr.
Can you hear the wheels grinding? Funny how things change, and yet seem to remain the same.
33 comments:
Erasmo esta bien quemado! No Votes for the cheez!!!
Finally I’m glad to see attention being focused on nursing homes, which seem to have been one of the most neglected areas. While it is sad to see this come to light with COVID-19, it is a topic that has long been ignored. The staggering numbers of deaths confirm it. The nursing home owners at a majority of these facilities simply do not provide proper training to their employees.
You look at any poll and you will find Texas ranked last in nursing home care. Low pay and high turnover plague this industry, so it should not be a shock to see high fatalities in these institutions. I had firsthand experience with one of my elderly relatives, moving from one nursing home to another. I’m sure many have experienced the same with elderly parents. Now these nursing home residents can’t visit with their loved ones. Such a tragedy in so many ways. It is so sad that it took a pandemic to bring to light the shape of nursing homes in Texas and so many other states.
A recent conversation with a friend left me wondering what America’s experience of the pandemic would be like if we had a real leader in the White House.
If we had a real leader, he would have realized that tragedies like 100,000 Covid-19 deaths touch something deeper than politics: They touch our shared vulnerability and our profound and natural sympathy for one another.
In such moments, a real leader steps outside of his political role and reveals himself uncloaked and humbled, as someone who can draw on his own pains and simply be present with others as one sufferer among a common sea of sufferers.
Too damned bad Trump has no such leadership skills.
About police brutality and the rioting in Minneapolis
Think about this - When a bunch of shaven-headed, heavily tattooed, muscle-bound white guys in paramilitary gear come head to head with a bunch of shaven-headed, heavily tattooed, muscle-bound white guys in police uniforms it's more of a reunion than a confrontation.
FINALLY!!!! Thanks to the RrunRrun the citizens are notified of incidents that are very important to them. Finally she will get her comeupings in court and I am hoping for justice. If she did wrong, she must pay for it but we also have to remember that the prosecutable cases against her are only the bottom of the barrel, for she harmed so many people along the way with her better than thou attitude she has always had since a child. Her vindictiveness must come out, I feel, so that people know just what kind of a bitch she really is. It is time for jurors to stand for justice and do the right thing. Just watch them try to change the venue since everyone around here is so anxious to get this going and out of courts so that she can spend the rest of her time learning lessons she should have learned before. It is such a shame it has come down to this for she could have had such a bright future if she had played on the up and up. Hay te wacho, Sylvia!
They should have a permanent judge just to do removals of appointed and elected persons. RATS IN THE KITCHEN office of removal of suspected theives and other illegal activities (mostly theif of monies).
They get paid over 100k a year and they still steal from the poorest community in the country - bola de mierdas - sent them all to jail without a trial...
“Political angles??” She accepted a bribe! How can you, albeit subtly, try to make her out to be the victim. Greed and ambition did her in. I hope she gets exactly what she deserves. Great educators have a common factor - the innate desire to serve and nurture children - can you look at her and see this? I think not. Her goals have always been political and self serving. Show me a politician who isn’t a Self serving piece of shit - bet you can’t.
So is trump now suggesting that the national guard shoot American citizens? Seriously? What third world dictatorship does this sound like?
If Castro runs, I'm voting for his opponent. Basta!
Sylvia...the bad news first...all of your teaching and administrator certificates will be permanently revoked. The good news...I hear the Federal Prisons have better food and facilities than State Prisons. I hear they have a better commissary too. That’s where you get your Ramen and honey buns...bawhahahaha!
Go Sylvia!
Message to Twitter
You’re a private platform. Trump signed your terms of service, and you have his tweets in a vice. Add more warnings to his lies. Say it with me: “Fuck me? No, fuck you, Mr. President!”
They need prosecute her some where else than brownsville. Even if she if found guilty of her charges, they are gonna be lenient on her because of compadrismo.
The president has just thought that he will terminate relations with the city because of its corruption ideas. Twitter tried to intervined and to stopped this thoughts buy couldn't because they couldn't fine a software to label his thoughts. nyt
Se le llego el tiempo de pagar lo que debe. A mi me hizo la vida pesada y Tambien a muchas de sus amigas. Ella tenia que salir en frente de todos. Va a tener que pagar lo que debe. Pero ni asi nos quita los que hizo con muchas de nosotros. A ver quien te va a ver a la carcel?
Just stick her WIDE ASS in jail for a little while. I'm just sick and tired of seeing her condescending smirk.
Just wondering who she is going to take down with her.
I think if one did just a little digging one might find that Atkinson's TSC appointment may have had alot to do with Adela. I wonder if she even actually scored highest during the interview process? Maybe that should be looked into. Atkinson is dirty.....and whats the saying? Birds of a feather flock together? Might be time for Adela to move on too. The old way of doing things in Brownsville needs to end for the region to prosper. Lets make it happen come election time!
Now put as much light on PUB and its tontos!
Let’s see how long her lover Sherry Stout will stick around.
If Sherry is her significant other, than she should stick with her for life. Even if it is Life in prison sentence! Se quieren mucho las viejas! Sylvia may have had the highest interview ratings at TSC because she knows what she is talking about and is able to poke everybody's eyes. She did that to many of us who believed in her and let's hope now that our name does not come out in her defense or blaming us for helping her out. Hay, hay, hay!
Where is Coach Joe? Is he under the witness protection program? Has he been promised immunity? This guy is no where to be seen. What ever happened in the Escobedo case? Elizondo case?
wow teachers are really mean....
Why hasn’t the BISD BOARD removed her as they did Erasmo? What is Minerva waiting for? Is she scared? Is Prisci scared? What about the AAs that would bow at her feet, Are they scared? Atkinson would walk around the main office like she owned the world...or as some at the main office would say, she owned people here, principals, administrators. She ruled them.
Teachers are not mean! They are just fed up with people who think they are better than everyone and try to push their weight around them. For years we have sat back and taken abuse from administrators but it had never been as bad as that with board members. Now we are a total joke within the RGV when they laugh about our school board who just wants to micromanaged and make a profit. Some of those idiots could not even pass a class in high school, much less lead and direct a district of our size. Look at their meeting agendas and how much is related to instruction and teachers as compared as to buying things from here and from there - who gives the "biggest Bite?" Even educators on the board have turned out to disappoint their ex-colleagues with their string pulling now that they are on the school board. Ask Drue why they did not hire Alfonso for PIO instead of Moody? It is who you know and not what you know? That is why teachers are so upset! (for blogger at 10:05)
Joe Rodriguez andCarlos Elizondo stole from the district as well yet no body seems to care and are only focused on Sylvia. Why? Cause Erasmo is upset!! Remember when joe was a silent partner in the vendor for athletes? When Carlos also a silent partner in in the paramedic school which is a curriculum for our high school students. People wake up!! Erasmo is only upset he couldn’t stick his hand in the cookie jar. He is a con man who has everyone fooled. A wolf in sheep’s clothing. What Sylvia did was not right and like everyone who is charged with any crime will have her day in court. Let our justice system decide....
June 1, 2020 at 10:00 AM
I can understand the frustration but some of the statements here are more of a personal nature than constructive critic, anyway all of it is worth reading...
Who wants to be personal with Sylvia? If you have had some sort of a chance to even speak with her, she will let you know how stupid you are and how dare you question her actions. No mas ella sabe todo She won't give you a chance to even pretend to like her.
Sylvia Atkinson is a waste of a perfectly good meat vehicle. They should have put a better soul in that one.
Does anyone have ANYTHING good to say about Sylvia?
Maybe, Sherry? Pobre vata - she is so hateful = her own doing.
Corruption has infested the valley since I can remember. Hopefully, they take down Eddie Lucio Jr and his son, Eddie Lucio III. Herman Otis Powers Jr needs to also be indicted. However, he’s buddy’s like the Lucio criminal family 🙄with the FBI Director in charge of the San Antonio office. Clean the swamp!!
Even her Brother Charlie is involved with her in taking kickbacks.He shouldn't be teaching in BISD.But his Connections worked very well. But every Dog has his day just wait and see.
How many times did you post Erasmo? You probably posted at least six times. You are obsessed with Sylvia. Is it because you know she has bigger balls than you and a higher IQ? Is it because she had documentation from a Mexican Court where they charged you with indecency with a minor so you resigned so it wouldn't come out? Your hatred has consumed you. Your fan base has dwindled to where only the ignorant and naive follow your craziness. You are like Trump; everyone is finding out just how stupid and ignorant you are.
Sylvia was told not to attend any board meeting yet I saw her in the last board meeting. She still has not learned or intends to follow rules. Personally, I have nothing against her but I don’t think she is a good example for our children. She didn’t just steal from anybody, she stole from all of our children
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