SBCISD maintenance head terminated, fears retribution

By MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ
Managing Editor
editor@sbnewspaper.com

SBCISD

SBCISD

Longtime San Benito CISD employee David Garcia, who for the last 10 years served as the school district’s maintenance department director, was indefinitely suspended without pay on Friday.

SBCISD Interim Superintendent of Schools Dr. Ismael Cantu notified Garcia of his termination via a memo. Also, SBCISD transportation department director Rolando Monsevalles was informed that he would be overseeing the maintenance department in an interim capacity.

“All I can say is that I was made aware this morning by Dr. Cantu that he was asking me to temporarily head up the maintenance department,” Monsevalles said Friday. “I met with the office staff and met with the supervisors this afternoon and informed them of the circumstances, and we’re going to move forward with that starting Monday.”

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.sbnewspaper.com/2014/04/26/sbcisd-maintenance-head-terminated-fears-retribution/

32 comments

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    • Jake on April 30, 2014 at 2:03 pm
    • Reply

    That goes to show Jacob Mike that you are being irresponsible and taking advantage of the situation the Maintenance Dept. finds itself in. This sir goes to show what type of worker you are, grow up young man because if you don’t you will eventually find yourself involved in situations you can’t get yourself out of.

    • maintenance worker on April 30, 2014 at 11:36 am
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    I’m also currently employed, and writing this during work hours

    • Jake on April 30, 2014 at 10:10 am
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    Jacob Mike,
    Read the report of the investigation, Mr. Benavides was cleared of any wrong doing when he was accused of selling district scrap metal, unlike previous board members.

    • Young Maintenance Worker on April 30, 2014 at 8:24 am
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    I’m a young maintenance worker for the SBCISD, currently employed, and yes I am on here and not working at the current moment. But hey, there is no supervisor to be found since he was suspended and the bus man is no where to be found either. All thanks to Yliana and her group of pens. In closing, being on here writing is (some would argue) just as productive if not more productive than being asleep on the job. What say you?

      • Reform San Benito on April 30, 2014 at 9:20 am
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      Young Maintenance Worker, there’s more than one way to clean up the schools; sounds like you are doing your part. Keep up the good work!

    • Jacob Mike on April 30, 2014 at 1:05 am
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    Jake, get outta here! If Bob t, Joe Gonzalez and Oscar de la Fuente meme and medrano were really there to “fire” people, they would have gotten rid of more than half of the district. Because that’s how many joe D supporters work for the district. If benavides was so innocent, why was he selling the district scrap metal for his own profit? And joe left very quietly and then went and made a mess in Donna. I’m sure he wasn’t an innocent man. A settlement is just what it is, a settlement. It doesn’t make the defense innocent. Keep trying.

    • Rosalinda G. Garcia on April 29, 2014 at 11:13 pm
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    To: Kick This

    I am assuming that the Rosie or Rosalinda G. Garcia you are referring to as writing the blog on kickbacks is me? I said what I needed to express at the last regular school board meeting on the issue of the 10 million dollar Entegral Energy Project. I spoke publically so I could be heard by taxpayers on the school channel station.

    Though I do agree “Kick This”; that sure reads a lot of what I said at public comment , except, I would have placed my name.

    Well, gotta go “Kick This”! Need to review my voting lists; Nothing is for certain in this world! Just need to do my best!

    Thank you for reading my blog.

    • paco69 on April 29, 2014 at 9:01 pm
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    Get over it people, the two guys that got suspended/ terminated would say that they were untouchable because of former board members that got them in.

    • Old Maintenance worker on April 29, 2014 at 4:51 pm
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    Jake, old and retired.

    • Jake on April 29, 2014 at 4:22 pm
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    Well sir all I can say is look up the court records and do some investigating the School District cost was 300,000. You should know that if you worked their like you say. As for Mr. Garcia you must be one of his favorites. As for his reasons for settling are his, one thing that Mr. Benavides has is that he is not afraid if he had been afraid back then he never would have gone to court. Also get your facts correct he settled for more than 150,000. Sir are you stilled employed with the district and if you are what are you doing responding to comments during work time?

    • Old Maintenance worker on April 29, 2014 at 3:43 pm
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    I was there. I saw how contractors added money amounts to their jobs because the old maintenance director told them how much to bill and how much to keep back. I saw how he would get gifts from companies he hired over and over again. I saw how he would reward his favorite painter (the sleeping one) with overtime to the tune of over 1000 a month. Yes he sued but he settled for 150,000 because he was afraid to keep going in court. The insurance company paid him. You can’t compare and honest man like David Garcia to the old maintenance director. I also think you are making up the $300,000. Those of us that worked in maintenance during that time saw all the overtime he gave to reward his friends.

    • Jake on April 29, 2014 at 2:39 pm
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    Obviously How Nice,
    You didn’t read the comments prior to mine. If anyone’s perception is skewed it would be yours. You must be in denial. Is David Garcia not Sandra Tumberlinson’s cousin by marriage or am I wrong about that? Do some investigating yourself and tell me if what I have said is not true. Did the investigation of former Maintenance Director not cost the District $300,000.00? Sometimes the truth is ugly and it hurts but the citizens of San Benito deserve to hear the truth.

    • How nice on April 29, 2014 at 1:23 pm
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    Jake, your perception of people is so skewed and the accusations you make are so damning that it is obvious you are one of the people who cant get over what happened 10 years ago. And because of that, you don’t even recognize truths in life…..which make you accusations lies.

    • Jake on April 29, 2014 at 12:39 pm
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    Why is it that people can’t get over what happened 10 years ago with Mr. Benavides and Mr. J. D. Gonzalez?
    Citizens of San Benito what more corruption than the previous school board? Why isn’t Mr. T called a power hungry board member? To my recollection he covered up all his wife’s unprofessional conduct (Sandra Tumberlinson). Mr. T, Joe Gonzalez, Oscar de la Fuente, Oscar Medrano, Manuel Gonzalez, when elected come in with one thing in mind get rid of every employee that did not support them. Mr. Benavides’ investigation was at $300,000.00 and yet nothing was found but they had to find something in order to bring in David Garcia, Sandra’s cousin my marriage. In case you have forgotten Mr. Benavides took them to court and won his law suit. Why is it that people try to bring good people down? This present board came in trying to help and better the school district they didn’t come in firing employees. Anna Cruz, Oscar Medrano, Chon Lopez and Ronnie Garcia stop promising people jobs for votes. Ronnie’s daughter-in-law and son have both been promised jobs if Oscar wins, one of them as the Special Education Coordinator and the other as the head of Technology. Hector is the one that I am very surprised at when I was told he joined the team of Oscar and Mr. T.

    • truth be told 2 on April 28, 2014 at 10:04 pm
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    The tale of a power hungry board president. 1. The insurance letter to get her friends in SIG about 1/2 million in commissions. 2. The changing of the bid on E-Rate to give part of the contract to her friends from Brownsville.
    3. The purchase of a reading program for over 600k that is not even being used to reward another friend. 4, Now this 10 Million project to reward her friend from Mercedes. 4. The suspending of the maintenance director and the superintendent to avenge her father’s best friend the former maintenance director. 5. The hiring of current clinic director over the recommended Valley Baptist System because they listened to their friend the current insurance consultant. 6. Fabricating 64 false allegations against the suspended superintendent to ruin his reputation. 7. Listening to false witnesses within the police department to pressure the interim to reassign the police chief. 8. The purchase of fake Ipads from Aguilera the bully clown. 9. I could go on but I think you get the picture.

      • WeThePeople on April 29, 2014 at 10:27 am
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      That’s OK. A crooked school board is nothing new. These people are not very creative nor smart. They always get caught. PSJA, Donna, Progreso and Brownsville are prime examples of board members abusing their positions in pursuit of money and power.

      http://www.valleymorningstar.com/news/local_news/article_04f11192-562a-5204-8b78-763acb2be8e2.html

      http://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Public-corruption-intensified-along-border-5259242.php

      http://www.valleycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=989708

      http://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Progreso-mayor-pleads-guilty-in-corruption-scheme-5371894.php

        • Ties on April 29, 2014 at 12:18 pm
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        WeThePeople,

        FYI: Yliana has ties to more than one of those schools you listed.

    • Too little, too late on April 28, 2014 at 9:27 pm
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    Absolutely right kickbacks!,! Mr Garcia spent 10 minutes visiting the dead father of a maintence dept employee and that is the number one reason he was given for his termination. Reason Number 2 & 3 weren’t even done by him, but by one of his men. Yes it is very obvious that Yliana wanted Mr. Garcia out. Watch outt Yliana, your time on the board is coming to an end in one year… And ur control will be over on May 10.

      • Kick this on April 29, 2014 at 10:34 am
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      2 little 2 late,

      “Reason #2 & 3 weren’t done by him, but by one of his men”? He oversees the department and must ensure that they are fullfilling their job responsibilites and duties, if they are not, then it is his responsibility to hold them accountable!….in a TIMELY MANNER! Regardless! Case and point: he failed to hold his employees accountable and proves his lack of leadership. How can these men be allowed to place kids in harm by not following the rules?
      He is no longer protected by sloppy joe, bottom line.

        • Really Ridiculous on April 29, 2014 at 10:51 am
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        Bad scores occurred under the majority four’s leadership during a time when they went unchallenged. By your logic, they failed and proved their lack of leadership. How can these four board members, Julian Huerta, June Aguilera, Yliana Gonzalez, and Fatima Huerta, be allowed to place kids in harm’s way by not following the rules? They should be fired too! Bottom line. People don’t call this the worst school board in history for nothing. Kick that.

    • Other motives on April 28, 2014 at 5:31 pm
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    Yliana and this board have truly shown the community that the students of SBCISD are not their true passion. Another article published here indicates that San Benito’s preliminary STAAR results are substandard. Maybe she and our astute board should focus their attention on that rather than accommodating their own hidden agendas. MAYBE this all stems from her DADDY and his encounters in the maintenance department. Mr. Garcia is dedicated and hardworking man. I hope he fights this battle and succeeds! PLEASE get out and VOTE!!!

    • Kick this on April 28, 2014 at 4:41 pm
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    @ kickbacks (aka Rosie) : How is this any different than what Medrano, Anna, Hector, and their buddy Rosalinda and Chon (to name a few) get? They just go for the ride on these island and San Antonio trips.This too “sure does smell suspicious if you ask me”. Mr. Garcia needs to get out of the district.

      • Mike. C. on May 2, 2014 at 12:01 am
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      @kick this…how is it different? For one, we’re talking MILLIONS that the magnificent FOUR want to WASTE! That’s a HUGE difference from the few hundreds spent on a school board trip that is ALREADY BUDGETED to be spent for School board training trips, which btw, not only the minority three use. This energy savings company is bad news all around. WAKE UP! Stop choosing sides. Instead, stand up for what is best for the students and the tax payers. After all, we are all in this together. Let’s make a difference in our community.

    • Kickbacks on April 28, 2014 at 1:52 pm
    • Reply

    Yliana probably suspended Mr. Garcia because he was against her $10 MILLION dollar Energy Project that she is trying hard to pass at the Special Board Meeting on Wednesday April 30th.

    The Action Item Reads “Discussion and Possible Action on approving the Design Build Facility Improvement Construction contract and associated financing between Entegral Solutions, a partner of TASB, and San Benito CISD subject to legal Review of the contracts.”

    Mr. Garcia and Mr. Montes were able to do most of the work in-house. So what’s the rush Ms. President, are you and your fantastic foursome getting kickbacks… Are we getting some money /trips into your back pocket? Sure does smell suspicious if you ask me. Why would the district spend 10 million when both directors advised you that it could be done in-house?

    May 10th can’t come soon enough.

    You have 2 weeks before you are knocked off your throne. Trying to get all your last minute DIRTY jobs done is easy with your weak handpicked superintendent.

      • Coincidence on April 29, 2014 at 8:52 am
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      @Kickbacks – This really seems suspicious, not just coincidence. SB News, time to do some real investigative journalism. Follow the money trail…

    • Bad Dog on April 28, 2014 at 10:38 am
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    Well enough talking. Time to do the walking and get your butts out there and vote. I’m sure you guys can find a candidate to vote for….their are pleanty on the ballot

    • SICN N TIRED on April 28, 2014 at 10:29 am
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    May 10, Thank God today is early voting!!! I couldn’t agree more.

    • May 10 on April 28, 2014 at 1:59 am
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    She and her puppets are making all the final moves they can before their time is up.

    • SBCISD EMPLOYEE on April 27, 2014 at 7:18 pm
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    If Yliana has a list of 60 some supposed wrong doings by Mr. Limon and has spent 20k plus investigating him and still can’t get rid of him, what exactly did Mr. Garcia do that was so prompt and didn’t require all this to actually get rid of him.

    School board, interim superintendent,

    I want to know!

    • Fed Up! on April 27, 2014 at 12:11 pm
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    Wow! This is a crock of bs! I’m shocked! Mr. Garcia has always done an excellent job with his dept. Many great things have come at his direction. This board has reached an all-time low. I bet she is the one that wrote the letter. Just like her infamous insurance letter. God Bless Mr. Garcia. I hope he fights this. I really do.

    • Ryan Luna on April 26, 2014 at 6:24 pm
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    David Garcia has been an exemplary employee and an asset to San Benito CISD. It’s such a shame that this superintendent couldn’t stand his ground. Both Mr.Limon and Mr. Oregon stood their ground and didn’t fulfill princess Yliana’s wish to suspended this man. Shes been trying for the last 6 years.

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