LORENA, Texas — Two State Board of Education (SBOE) members attended the Lorena Independent School District school board meeting on Aug. 26 amid an ongoing controversy.
It comes as Lorena ISD and Lorena Primary School Principal April Jewell face a lawsuit filed by the parents of a pre-k student who was sexually abused at the school.
At the meeting, dozens of people shared their thoughts with the board on the handling of the situation and/or how much they love the district and those leading it.
SBOE Secretary Patricia Hardy also addressed the board. She's been on the board for 22 years, and has been an educator even longer. She said the emails she received from parents were so compelling, it made her want to make the drive.
"I felt compelled to say something about a situation that I find very disturbing, and I think that oftentimes there are problems with getting to the bottom of what's happened, and what happened to that little girl should have never happened and had adults been more forthright and asking more questions, it would not have happened," Hardy told 6 News in an interview after the meeting. "It seems to me, as people have contacted me, there were people who tried to make a difference and they just couldn't seem to break kind of a protective shield. I have never seen anything to this extent in all my years of of teaching, although I know it goes on."
Hardy said she is going to ask the State Board of Educator Certification to look deep into the situation, all the facts. Hardy added that change needs to happen as pedophilia in schools has become a nationwide epidemic.
"We need to make sure adults that are in any way responsible to take some responsibility for this because it will send a message to others that you're not going to get away with it," Hardy added. "There were days when they used to just sweep this under the carpet, but we can't do that anymore and so I'd like to see that change."
SBOE Member Evelyn Brooks, who represents Lorena ISD, was also in attendance. She addressed the board and the crowd.
Brooks told 6 News in an interview that she was taken aback by the division she saw at the meeting.
"This is not an issue to be divided by, but it is a decision where there are two sides, so it's understandable that we have disagreements." Brooks said. "But, how do we respectfully disagree, and I hope the take away from tonight is not only that we as leaders must be accountable, but also the fact that citizens are also very key players in the success of a school district and also providing that certain level of of safety measurement."
Brooks has been looking into the concerns of parents and the allegations the district faces for a couple months. She said she would like to see more attention and resources be poured into investigating situations like the one unfolding in Lorena ISD, as it happens across the state.
"I believe that in the state of Texas we have the budget to ensure that we have the personnel we need to meet the needs of the grievance process in our schools so that it is not a long process, but a quick one," Brooks explained. "We need to put some some sort of plan together to address this need. It's not isolated. What's happening here in Lorena is happening throughout the state of Texas."
Brooks believes the investigation will be very telling on how situations should be handled by Lorena ISD and she trusts that it will reveal the truth.
Jewell remains the principal of Lorena Primary School and the lawsuit she faces, along with the district, is currently held up in an appeals court.