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Jul 16, 2008 8:37 pm US/Central
AISD School Board To Decide Fate Of Superintendent
ARLINGTON (CBS 11 News) ―
Hector Montenegro has only been in his position since February, but the superintendent is already under fire.
The Arlington School Board will decide Thursday whether to place him on paid leave for possibly breaking state laws. But some people claim race is playing a role in the controversy.
Thursday, a rally will be held at the Arlington School District Headquarters to support Montenegro. Supporters believe he is being investigated for all the wrong reasons.
Supporters say he is a revolutionary educator who follows a challenging philosophy, "which says we have to embrace bilingual education, that not everyone in our education system only speaks English," said Rev. Kyev Tatum with Ministers For Education.
Reverend Tatum believes that this philosophy is what has gotten Montenegro in trouble with the Arlington Independent School Board. "You can say cultural. You can say educational. You can say racial," he said.
The trustees are investigating the fees Montenegro has received at speaking engagements, along with thousands of dollars in expenses he charged to the school district during those trips.
They want to know whether he has violated a new law that makes it a misdemeanor to accept payments from those doing or wanting to do business with the district.
"We think that 2007 law is really unconstitutional to hamper or hinder a professional in the education arena for not utilizing his expertise around," said Reverend Tatum.
According to Reverend Tatum, a former NAACP leader, superintendents all over Texas are doing the same thing. He says if Montenegro is going to be investigated, then every other superintendent should be as well.
"We want the Arlington ISD to be fair. We think what's happened to him is a travesty in justice," he said.
Tatum, through the Ministers For Education, has requested intervention in the matter from the United States Justice Department. In addition, the Arlington chapter of LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) has asked for the Attorney General to step in and resolve the issue.
School board officials would not comment on the allegations.
The board will meet Thursday at 9 p.m. to decide whether to place Montenegro on paid leave while the investigation continues. The board will also consider naming an interim superintendent.
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