BISD BOARD CENSURES ELIZONDO FOR RUDE, DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR

Special to El Rrun-Rrun

X.A.5. Discussion and possible action to reprimand Trustee Elizondo for conduct at September 22, 2023 Board Meeting. (Board Agenda Request Jessica Gonzalez/Board Support Eddie Garcia)

Once again, and almost predictably, the disruptive and interrupting antics of a Brownsville Independent School District board member resulted in a 4-3 vote to censure member Carlos Elizondo for his disrespectful behavior toward the chair during the September 22 meeting where he told board president Jessica Gonzalez to "be quiet" and to "never interrupt me again" when he was told his behavior was out of order.

With the likes of former board members Erasmo Castro and Caty Presas-Garcia, retired teacher Angie Villarreal, and local gadfly Susan Ruvalcaba speaking out against the censure, the board set about to hear the item and participate in the discussion. Both Castro and Presas-Garcia reminded them that, when they were board members, they were also censured by their peers on the board.

Board counsel read a resolution outlining the extent to which Elizondo – aided and abetted by Minerva Peña, and Frank Ortiz – had deliberately obstructed the proceedings regarding consultants hired by the board and disrupted the discussion.

Before the vote was called on the motion and second to censure, a sneering Elizondo – cheered on by a group of his supporters in the audience – nitpicked the difference between the word "censure" and "reprimand," only to be told by legal counsel that it was just a matter of semantics, but the actions remained the same.

Board chair Jessica Gonzalez said that she had asked for the item to be placed on the agenda because Elizondo had refused to follow board policy and had continually talked over her as she was trying to conduct the meeting. 

"He told me to be quiet and to never interrupt me again and that my only job was to run the meeting, which ironically, was what I was trying to do. If we are going to be chaotic, then how can we expect our administrators and staff (to follow the rules)?"

The resolution accused Elizondo of being rude and accusing a consultant of lying. After discussing the issue at closed session during the September 22 meeting all three issued an apology for their behavior.

"We apologized in the last meting," sanctimonious  drama queen Not-So-Mini Peña said. "And then this. I am heartbroken. I apologized for our conduct when we came out of executive session and then we come in and do this."

"This is absurd," Ortiz said. "There's no need for this. This is a black eye for the district."

"I am heartbroken," Peña repeated, "If you vote for this I hope you enjoy it because it will be the last time you serve our community," she said to wild applause from Elizondo's supporters. 

Despite Elizondos's nitpicking, Peña's holy roller  sea lawyering and Ortiz's hand wringing, the item to censure Elizondo passed by a 4-3 vote, much to the displeasure of his supporters in the audience.