SBCISD employees allege harassment

By MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ
Managing Editor
editor@sbnewspaper.com

Three longtime San Benito CISD employees alleged on Monday that they’ve been targeted for harassment due to their political leanings.

Debi Smith, 58, Gladys “Patty” Garcia, 37, and Felix Almaraz, 28, have a combined 58 years experience working at the school district, but they fear their tenures may not last much longer as a result of what they called “political changes” that have taken place since the May 2012 general election.

Specifically, the three employees, who were open about their political support for school board candidates Bob Tumberlinson, Anna Llanes and Dr. Wilma Garza Smetter last year, attributed various alleged incidents that – since May 2012 – include a tire slashing, a stolen iPad and harassment.

Smith, who’s worked for the district for 38 years – first at San Benito High School and now at the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) department, said, “I’ve been openly supporting my candidates, I poll-watched during elections for different candidates and campaigned for them. I’ve been doing this for years, but I was never in fear for our jobs like I am now.”

According to Smith, her overtime has been cut and has been recently informed that she could not work unsupervised – happenings she attributes to political maneuvering.

“Everyone else works unsupervised,” Smith said. In a letter to the editor that Smith, Garcia and Almaraz submitted for the Feb. 20 mid-week edition of the San Benito News, Smith said she took particular offense to a sign Jesus “Chuy” Aguilera, owner of Chuy’s Custom Sports and father of Board Secretary June Aguilera, posted during last year’s early voting period.

“During early voting on May 2, 2012, Jesus Aguilera, the owner of Chuy’s Custom Sports, stood across the street of the Tax Office (where early voting was taking place) wearing a large shirt and (had a) large sign that read something to the effect that they had to put a white woman in there because the two Mexicans could not handle it,” Smith said. “That, to me, is a racial comment that was visible to early voters and the employees in the Tax Office.”

“She was offended by it then, but you know what … if she was offended by it last year why didn’t she tell me about it last year?” Chuy Aguilera said. “If she wants to be offended, that’s fine. She can be offended all she wants. They’ve gotten away with a lot of stuff, and it’s like I tell my daughter, don’t look at what happened in the past but what’s happening in the future.”

Chuy Aguilera also said he doesn’t wish for Smith, Almaraz and Garcia to be terminated. “If she thinks I’m after her job, she’s wrong,” he said. “It’s her own people in the administration building that have put the finger on her. They all think I’m after them, but I’m not. I’m just tired of getting phone calls saying, ‘Did you know she came in at 1 p.m.? Did you know she wore chanclas? Did you know she wore jeans?’ You tell them to do their job and be held accountable; then they will have nothing to worry about.”

However, Smith stated in her letter that her work hours were approved by her immediate supervisor, Joyce Taubert, and Superintendent of Schools Antonio G. Limón.

“Due to my husband’s critically ill health in the CCU of the hospital, I could only visit him during certain hours,” Smith said. “Joyce Taubert, my immediate supervisor, and Mr. Limón approved this arrangement of my work hours. My work performance did not suffer because of this arrangement.”

“But what happens to the other people who’ve asked and were denied?” Chuy Aguilera questioned.

Garcia, an 11-year employee of the district who currently serves as payroll clerk, recalled alleged incidents involving her tire being slashed while at SB Wings the evening of Election Day last May – which she attributed to political opponents – and what she described as a threat from supporters of her candidates’ opponents.

“‘You are so out of there,’ they threatened me that way when they found out they won,” Garcia said.

In addition, Garcia said her iPad containing an email she sent to the superintendent was stolen from her desk at work and returned the next day with the message showing that it had been read. Garcia further alleged that she’s had her picture and video taken at the administration building in an effort to prove that she’s talking instead of working and that her work attire – jeans and sandals – were inappropriate. Also, Garcia said she was notified by her immediate supervisor, Business Manager Emma McCall, that she was being “watched on the time I come in to work, the days that I am out, and basically telling me that they, specific board members, are trying to find reasons to fire me.” Garcia did not identify which board members she alleges plan to fire her.

Almaraz, who’s worked for the district for 10 years – first as a security guard and now as a grant liaison in the federal programs department, said he, too, was spoken to by a supervisor, in this case the superintendent.

“(Limón) met with me in the Human Resources Conference Room to tell me that due to political changes certain school board members were questioning my work habits along with two other employees named Patty Garcia and Debi Smith,” Almaraz said. “He stated that it was reported that we are always talking in the hallway, coming in late, leaving early, missing work and basically they were keeping an eye on us because they want to know what we are doing. He said that specific board members were pressuring him to fire the three of us. He advised me to not give them any reason to question our work habits.”

Almaraz said there have been times when he, Smith and Garcia have arrived to work late but alleged that other employees have not been notified of as much. “Everyone does it, everyone shows up late sometimes,” Almaraz said. “But we’re the only ones that there’s a problem with.”

Limón said he did have a conversation with Almaraz and further noted that Garcia and Smith’s department heads did the same with them.

“I told them they needed to be on time to work, that they needed to not have overtime unless it’s approved by their supervisor, which is a valid reason,” Limón said. “The only reason I spoke to Almaraz directly is because his supervisor (Dr. Margarita Greer) was out of town.”

In the meantime, Smith, Garcia and Almaraz said the “report on personnel” agenda item scheduled to be discussed in closed session by the San Benito CISD Board of Trustees on Tuesday was in regards to their employment, matters they continue to believe are politically motivated.

“It’s freedom of speech,” Smith said. “It’s my right as an American to support who I want and not be retaliated against because of who I support, and I don’t chastise anyone else for who they support.”

Read this story in the Feb. 20 edition of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our E-Edition by clicking here.