CORTEZ: DIABLO POR CONCOCIDO? O SANTO POR CONOCER?

 By Juan Montoya

We see where former Brownsville Independent School District trustee Ruben Cortez – after Hidalgo County Democratic voters propelled him to a spot on the Texas School Board of Education – is now angling to get elected to the GOP-gerrymandered District 37 seat of the Texas House of Representatives.

He faces developer Luis Villarreal Jr. and Harlingen City Commissioner Frank Puente in the March 2022 Democratic Party primary. The winner will face a Republican in the November general election.

We have been following the political career of this self-serving "public servant" for years. Just a sample of his blatant dastardly deeds from the past should discourage anyone from swallowing his claims of even-handed treatment or believing he has the best interest of the constituency in mind. 

Former BISD Superintendent Hector Gonzales, CFO Antonio Juarez, and Special Needs Director Art Rendon outlined his behind-the-scenes manipulations to benefit himself, his political supporters and his family in lawsuits in which they prevailed.

(At right, JP 2-1 Linda Salazar – his mother – swears him in as BISD trustee as former Super Carl Montoya looks on. The fruit doesn't fall far from the tree. Salazar has compiled a long record of bending the rules for her brood such as sitting in on her other son's lawsuits and hiring her sister until she got caught had to transfer his cases before another judge and placed her sister in another court.) 

TRYING TO RIG INSURANCE CONTRACTS TOWARD HIS LATE PAL JOHNNY CAVAZOS;

– February 2007: (Ruben) Cortez visited Gonzales and told him he did not want insurance provider Healthsmart as the new insurance carrier for the district. He told Gonzales that he and the other (co-conspirators) wanted Mutual of Omaha, or any other firm in which Johnny Cavazos would be the agent. Gonzales said he would not participate in this conspiracy.

– March 2007: Cortez approached Gonzales again on the same issue and insisted that Gonzales only recommend one of Cavazos' insurance firms for the upcoming insurance contract. Again, Gonzales refused to join the conspiracy.

– Dec. 2007 to February 2008: (Rolando) Aguilar Cortez, and (Joe) Colunga met with Gonzales to discuss their "concerns" regarding the upcoming health insurance contract. They made it clear that they did not want Healthsmart, but one of Cavazos' companies.

– Sept. 16, 2008: CFO Antonio Juarez recommended AAG/Berkley for the Stop-Loss Insurance contract which was not adopted by the board at that meeting. Afterwards, Cortez visited Gonzales in his office and told him he did not like the recommendation and didn't like "being lied to." 

Gonzales said he would have Tony Resendez, counsel with Walsh, Anderson, Gallegos, Brown and Schultze to look into the matter. Resendez recommended the matter be handled administratively with a warning to Juarez that perhaps he did "not communicate effectively" to the board.

– Oct. 21: Cortez requested a consent item on the agenda related to "apparent misinformation" directed toward board members on insurance contract. Another "superintendent evaluation" was placed on agenda but no action was taken. Aguilar. Cortez, and Colunga all met with Gonzales separately after the meeting regarding Juarez. Each conveyed to Gonzales that they wanted him to fire Juarez for "lying" to them regarding the Stop-Loss insurance contract they wanted to go to Cavazos. They all wanted Gonzales to fire him and then give a recommendation to Cavazo's company.

When Gonzales didn't fire Juarez, but instead reassigned him to a grant administrator position, Cortez's reaction was immediate.

– Upon discovering the reassignment, trustees Aguilar, and Cortez went to Gonzales' office outraged. They both screamed "Why didn't you fire Tony? Why didn't you just terminate him?"

SUBVERTING THE BISD'S GRIEVANCE PROCESS TO "GET HIS ENEMIES":

– Immediately after the Sept. 23, 2008 board meeting Gonzales and board members attended CUBE convention in Las Vegas and Cortez approached Gonzales and told him the current board did not extend his contract because they were going to "hold him hostage."

 He also said his job "was on the line" and that the superintendent needed to "prove that he would do as they directed" and to "start proving himself by firing (former Special Services Director Art) Rendon because that would make Colunga very happy."

Further, Cortez said there was going to "be a change" and that Gonzales needed to "play ball with his side" or be fired. He also said that once his business partner attorney Rick Zayas was elected, they would have the majority vote and that they wanted the current insurance policy cancelled and a new insurance policy to be awarded to Cavazos.

Cortez also told Gonzales they wanted Rendon fired and his contract terminated immediately. Further, Cortez warned that Gonzales "needs to listen to him because they will be in control and all he has to do is do what they tell him to do" because "this was the way Brownsville operated."

– In the days and months following this episode: The BISD majority and its co-conspirators tried to procure false grievances against Gonzales in a further attempt to discredit, discriminate against, and terminate him.

– Sept. 18, 2009: Because of his refusal to stop and/or silence efforts to uncover and expose illegal and other improper activity of the conspiracy, Gonzales was terminated. He further charged in his court petition that the conspirators – including Cortez – "manipulated and created evidence, coerced and intimidated witnesses, gave false testimony, and falsified records to make it appear that the Special Services Department was in a financial mess and in an organizational shambles.

Further, the conspirators controlled, corrupted, and manipulated the entire grievance and appeal procedure such that the outcomes of specific and selected cases at the conspirators' choosing, were pre-determined."

SO THIS IS "KEEPING POLITICS OUT OF THE CLASSROOM"

– Also May 2008: Cortez went to Gonzales and instructed him to promote his wife to principal of Benavides Elementary (and later Sharp Elmentary). Cortez threatened Gonzales that "if he wanted to remain at BISD as superintendent, he should make it happen. Gonzales said he could not oblige such a request. Cortez responded "we will see what happens."

Cortez was also in the majority sued by former Special Needs Department Director Art Rendon in federal court who stated in a sworn deposition in his case (Southern District of Texas 1:10-cv-00198) that:

"58. On or about June, 2008, Ruben Cortez, a sitting board member on BISD, contacted Plaintiff directly via telephone. He instructed Plaintiff to hire his sister, Linda Aguilar, for summer school employment as a Special Education teacher.

59. Plaintiff informed Mr. Cortez that BISD had hiring policies in place and instructed him that the hiring application for the summer of 2008 had already been accepted and processed.

60. Cortez sent Plaintiff his sister's application and insisted Plaintiff call her immediately and giver her a job. Plaintiff set up a meeting between Cortez's sister Linda Ana Lerma, who was a Special Education supervisor, and Dr. Lee Garcia, Assistant Director for Special Services. At the meeting, Ruben Cortez's orders were followed, and Linda Aguilar was given a job for the summer of 2008.

Rendon also prevailed in his lawsuit against the BISD. As a result, the BISD taxpayers and insurance footed the bill for his excesses.

(Upcoming: Gouging a captive audience, Cortez – through family connections – gets lucrative jail commissary contract.)