Kevin O’Connor Kommentary April 4

11 Year Old Bryan ISD Student Is Charged With Assaulting An Educator Resulting In A Traumatic Brain Injury

The Bryan ISD school board hears from the husband of an educator who was assaulted by a student. During the public comment portion of the BISD board’s April 15th meeting, James Long said his wife sustained a traumatic brain injury. Among other things, Long said “Bryan ISD teachers are being assaulted and victimized across the district. And it appears that the district is not only not doing anything about it, but they are actively trying to cover it up.” Long said in October of 2023, his wife “was punched in the head multiple times and had her head slammed against the wall”. Long said since then, the same student “has been allowed to continue to assault teachers, with at least four other teachers having been assaulted and victimized to date.” Long also said “Bryan ISD is using taxpayer money to try to harass and cover up their liability for allowing this to continue to happen”. He said the district is paying a law firm to pressure and harass his wife into not receiving proper medical care. And he said the district paid for a private investigator to follow his wife “in an attempt to prove that she was faking, even though there is video proof of the assault.” After Long completed his comments, BISD board vice president Felicia Benford said “As you know as a board, we are not able to make comments on your statement or your comment. But what I can tell you is that we will get further information and we will get advised by our superintendent on this issue.” After the meeting, BISD superintendent Ginger Carrabine e-mailed the following statement to WTAW News: “Bryan ISD cares for all staff and students and continues to prioritize safety and security. While we cannot disclose student information regarding the matter brought forward by the spouse of an employee, the district has followed all applicable laws and procedures specific to the employee. The staff member referred to in this matter has continued to be fully paid during this period of absence as the district complies with all requirements. Bryan ISD is committed to supporting students and staff while maintaining confidentiality and privacy.” James Long e-mailed the following statement to WTAW News after learning about the superintendent’s statement: “While the superintendents comment that Brittany is receiving pay is accurate it does not tell the true story behind this incident. The district has allowed my wife and several other teachers to be assaulted and has done nothing to help or try to prevent this. In fact they continue to try to cover it up. They are spending taxpayer money in order to harass and intimidate my wife so she either gives up on her medical treatments and comes back to work or they can find a reason to stop paying her. I am scared to imagine how many teachers are being allowed to be assaulted and then left with no support and without proper treatment. I sat through the school board meeting where they spoke about trying to keep good teachers yet they are actively punishing teachers who are hurt while doing their duties. The public deserves to know that they are sending their kids to schools that allow the teachers to be assaulted and scared. They are giving taxpayer money to a district that uses that money not to hire the best teachers possible but to harass and intimidate teachers who were hurt while doing their duties.” A spokeswoman at the Brazos County district attorney’s office tells WTAW News that the student, who was 11 years old at the time of the incident, is currently charged with assault of a public servant. The spokeswoman says the charge could change upon the completion of their ongoing investigation. Click below to hear comments from the April 15, 2024 Bryan ISD school board meeting from James Long, followed by a response from board vice president Felicia Benford.  

Local Residents Return To Jail Following Arrests By Bryan And College Station Police

Two weeks after a Bryan woman finishes serving 336 days for two felony thefts, she returns to the Brazos County jail for the 37th time in 15 years. Two Bryan police officers investigating a theft at a convenience store Tuesday afternoon (April 16) say in their arrest reports that they got a false name from a woman they were interviewing. After the woman was told she was going to be arrested for the false name, she kicked the knees and stomped the feet of both officers and bit one of the officers. That led to additional charges against 36 year old Erica Jenkins of assaulting the officers, resisting arrest, tampering with a government record, and possession of P-C-P. A Bryan man is arrested for the second time in seven days. Monday night (April 15), a College Station police officer on patrol at an apartment complex was approached by a woman who reported a man on a moped made a threatening comment to her. With the help of another citizen, the man was found with what turned out to be a stolen moped and two black bags containing 107 pieces of stolen mail. The mail contained among other things, seven debit/credit or reward cards and nine checks. Officers also found a bag containing methamphetamine. The man who was arrested, 53 year old Joe Almaraz, was out on bond following his arrest by Bryan police on April ninth for vehicle burglaries, possessing more items containing personal identity information, and possessing a controlled substance.

College Station ISD School Board Fills Two Administrator Positions And Hears Public Comments About Staffing Concerns

College Station ISD school board members filled two administrator positions during April’s regular meeting. CSISD’s new facilities director is Paul Buckner, who held a similar position at Bryan ISD the last four years. Buckner takes over for Jon Hall, who retired from CSISD and according to a district spokesman has accepted a position with the city of College Station. The CSISD board also hired a new principal at Pecan Trail intermediate school. Brittany Cain has been Pecan Trail’s assistant principal the last five years. She will take over for Kellie Deegear, who opened the school as principal and is retiring according to a CSISD spokesman. And CSISD board members heard staffing concerns during the public comment portion of the April 16th meeting. After comments were made by David Foley, WTAW News e-mailed a CSISD spokesman requesting additional information regarding the district’s gifted and talented student program. As of April 19, there has been no response to our request. Click below to hear comments from the April 16, 2024 College Station ISD board meeting about the administrator hirings and public comments:   News release from College Station ISD about the board hiring a new facilities director and Pecan Trail intermediate school principal: The CSISD Board of Trustees approved Paul Buckner as the new executive director of facilities and Brittany Cain as the new principal of Pecan Trail Intermediate School at its regularly scheduled meeting on April 16. Buckner joins CSISD from Bryan ISD with 10 years of energy management experience and six years of project management experience. He has served as BISD’s director of construction and energy management since 2020 and has held positions with the district as energy and construction project manager and energy and sustainability specialist. Prior to his time with BISD, Buckner served as an energy accounts manager for Bryan Texas Utilities. He most recently led BISD’s $175 million bond project that included building Sadberry Intermediate School and the Haliburton Transportation Center. Buckner earned his Bachelor of Science at Texas A&M and holds certifications relating to energy management from the Association of Energy Engineers, Texas Energy Managers Association and American Public Power Association. “I’m looking forward to hitting the ground running with the team and contributing to the great work of CSISD and its schools.” said Buckner. Cain has served as the assistant principal for Pecan Trail Intermediate since 2019. In her time with CSISD she has been a summer school principal and department head while serving on numerous committees. Cain earned her Bachelor of Science from Louisiana State University-Shreveport and her Master of Education from Texas A&M University. “Our students, staff and parents are what make Pecan Trail a great place to learn and grow and I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity to continue to be a part of the amazing culture here,” said Cain.