Differing Viewpoints With Respect, Without Drama
Dallas ISD‘s COVID19 cases triple. One week after return to campus for hybrid learners Dallas ISD is reporting three times the case load as last week’s numbers.
Initial numbers had Dallas ISD cases at 42 including students, school staff, and central office employees.
Is pocketbook over party the campaign theme of Senate primary run off loser Royce West? West has also been exposed as being business partners with a major Trump donor. Readers will also remember John Cornyn appeared to be actively campaigning for Royce West back in the summer.
Given this context it is easy to understand why West was recently quoted saying he will not vote for MJ Hegar.
“MJ Hegar has my cell phone number. She has not called to ask for my support.”
During the primary runoff both candidates had pledged to support the Democratic nominee. This is the type of Democratic infighting that has some concerned that down ballot races will feel the hang over effects of a party that is not united going into the final weeks of the election. It appears West is simply voting his personal business interests – pocketbook over party.
West’s actions have created a response as one group put together a video supporting MJ Hegar and asking why he is not on board with the Democratic nominee.
Their video includes a link to an ActBlue fundraiser.
The DISD Auditor Report should be back in the news shortly. An affidavit was filed by a former employee of a local construction firm stating that there were both significant and intentional cost issues to projects discussed in the DISD Audit Report of Steven Martin, but additionally several Dallas ISD Trustees including two former members were receiving payments and benefits including Dallas Cowboys game tickets for their support of project procurement practices.
The affidavit was filed with the US Attorney’s Office in Dallas. They would have jurisdiction over federal taxpayer dollars being lost due to fraud, waste, or abuse.
This should be the second report received on the topic by federal authorities. Trustee Dustin Marshall claimed to have sent similar information to the FBI in February 2020. He has not responded to a request for tracking or other confirmatory information on his submission.
One former Dallas ISD employee familiar with school leadership commented “wow.”
A second person said “this has been going on for years and no one does anything. We saw financial problems when Hinojosa was here before, it continued with [Mike] Miles. Why is anyone surprised?”
Dallas ISD officials’ focus has shifted to battling COVID19 as district numbers have tripled since they re-opened hybrid school on Monday, but this would be a major financial setback for the DISD who has struggled with getting students to return to campus and generate enthusiasm for a $3.7B bond package given ongoing issues with Dallas ISD procurement policies.
In September, the Texas Education Agency took over Desoto schools after travel procurement issues were found to have cost taxpayers more than $400,000. It is not clear how far and wide this scandal might spread.
The DISD Auditor Report has left more questions than answers. Dallas ISD staff including interim Chief Internal Auditor Alan King have not responded to multiple email requests for comment.
Eight years ago local news reported on what was then a rough start to the school year for Dallas ISD and this year has been worse. King is described then as leading the district in the “aftermath of former Superintendent Michael Hinojosa’s departure last year” was resigning from the district for the first time then.
King served as Chief Financial Officer from January to June of 2011, when he was elevated to interim superintendent. Most considered King a success as both CFO and Interim Superintendent. Hwas described “as the perfect fit for an interim boss role: pragmatic, straight-forward, no-nonsense.”
Board of Trustees President Justin Henry and 1st Vice President Dan Micciche have not responded to emails for comment either.
Multiple whistleblowers reported problems with Dallas ISD procurement. To date they have all been terminated, asked to resign, or forced out of their positions. An example includes Zachariah Manning who alleged criminal activity as far back as 2016.
Recently Next Generation Action Network’s Dominique Alexander was highly critical of Dallas ISD officials for ending a contract for Thomas Jefferson High School’s rebuild in a Facebook Live video.
Maxie Johnson in a Board of Trustees meeting used words like forgery and the term corruption has been used since by Dallas ISD cheer captain, the Dallas Morning News.
From the Dallas Morning News editorial: “This could not come at a worse time for DISD. The board just approved placing its largest bond package ever before voters in November. The $3.2 billion request is really a vote of confidence in whether Hinojosa’s administration and whatever follows it can effectively manage a huge number of construction projects over a long period of time.”
In additionally to current allegations, Dallas ISD’s audit webpage no longer includes reports from Steven Martin. They are attached below. Dallas ISD has also not responded to Public Information Requests since March 2020 citing disaster declarations surrounding COVID19 as reasons to not respond. Dallas ISD operations have been in operation since August 2020.
We need to update the Candina S Heath previous article. Ms. Heath was linked to Erin Neely Cox’s office webpage.
Ms. Heath was in the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas. She is currently in the Washington DC offices of the Justice Department. The Public Information Officer for the Northern District of Texas did not respond with this information until late afternoon so this is our first opportunity to correct this information.
We expect to provide more background on this story in the near future. We await a denial from Ms. Heath about her presence in the videos or the other allegations made by third parties.
The Community Police Oversight Board Chairman, Jesuorobo Enobakhare, appeared to attempt to take law into his own hands after a reported hit and run near downtown Dallas.
It is not clear if being an appointed member of a citizen advisory board provides some indemnification against vigilante style actions. He does provide a license plate and vehicle description – effectively doxxing a private citizen – who hasn’t been convicted of any crime.
Neither Council Member Thomas, nor the City Secretary’s Office has responded to a request for comment about the behavior of their appointee.
The Community Police Oversight Board has largely been absent due – with one notable exception – due to a lack of subpoena power and a questionable relationship between its Chairman and the lame duck Police Chief U Reneé Hall, but few CPB members seem intent on actual oversight.
A Dallas based Assistant US Attorney is implicated in an amateur hotwife porn allegation by Barrett Brown.
Brown says Candina S Heath was involved as a performer in the amateur hotwife porn titled Queen of Spades Hotwife Part 2.
Brown intimates that he is bringing ethics questions into the issue because of the implications for a US Attorney who prosecutes national security cases.
Heath has been involved in both national security and corporate hacking cases in the office of the US Attorney for North Texas. Brown states in another part of his post that the video is available via Amazon.
In addition to Barrett Brown’s allegations, a Twitter account alleges she likes to record sexual interactions without the consent of those involved.
In Texas, recording of this nature would be a State Jail Felony under state criminal code. It is unclear if Dallas or other police authorities have investigated this behavior, but it would appear to be another example of the local justice community acting poorly again and again.
Neither Ms. Heath, nor the US Attorney’s Office, has responded to requests for comment.
Parents of Sudie Williams TAG Magnet school students were informed their child may have been exposed to COVID19 less than nine hours after re-opening for Hybrid Learning.
Dallas Independent School District (Dallas ISD) staff promised a thorough action plan to keep students safe, but in today’s notice note it is a staff member who was infected and will “no longer be on campus.”
District officials then went on to downplay the danger of infection despite it not being clear who the staff member was exposed to, how they passed health screenings, etc. Students attend the school from across Dallas ISD – so this event has the potential to spread the virus to multiple other neighborhoods.
Sudie L. Williams Talented and Gifted Academy opened its doors to students in August 2018. It currently includes grades four through eight. The curriculum for the TAG magnet academy is patterned after William B. Travis Academy/Vanguard for the Academically Talented and Gifted. At the school, the teachers strive to encourage students to pursue their curiosity and creativity. District public relations work states students at Sudie Williams work individually as well as collaboratively in small groups. In addition to academics, students at Sudie Williams TAG focus on character development.
Today is Back to School for the almost 50% of Dallas ISD students who chose to learn in person and we are tracking Dallas ISD’s self reported COVID19 numbers.
Dallas ISD has had several meetings and video series on returning students to campus safely. We know COVID19 has been transmitted to newborns and Dallas was referred to as a summer Hot Zone for COVID19. Given college campus spikes in COVID19 cases it will be interesting to see how Dallas responds.
Current numbers across Dallas ISD are minimal with 42 cases being reported this morning. We plan to update these numbers at least weekly, but will also alert parents if we see a spike in the district.
Where are the 9-1-1 call takers?
Multiple news reports said a man died early Sunday after he was shot while in his vehicle outside the Westin Galleria, Dallas police say. This comes less than a week after the Dallas City Council voted to defund Dallas Police overtime, but a social media account suggests the response was slowed due to lack of 9-1-1 call takers.
Officers responded about 2:47 a.m. to the shooting call in the 13340 block of Dallas Parkway, where witnesses told police a group of males in a dark-colored sedan shot at a white Mercedes in front of the hotel.
Both the shooter’s vehicle and the victim left the area, but police found the victim near the service road with a gunshot wound.
9-1-1 call takers are an ongoing problem in numerous big cities. Dave Statter of Statter911 has a long history of reporting issues with Washington, DC’s Operation Center.
Dallas appears to be having some of the same issues per the social media responses above including a fight in progress and uninterrupted” automatic gun fire.
Kim Richardson, a 63-year-old resident of Dallas has been ordered to federal prison for her role in a multi-million dollar interstate theft ring involving merchandise sold on eBay, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Kim Richardson pleaded guilty Dec. 17, 2019.
Today, U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen ordered her to serve a total of 54 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. She has also agreed to pay $3.8 million in restitution. In handing down the sentence, the court noted it would be virtually impossible to identify all of the victims in this long-running scheme.
As part of her plea, Richardson admitted she participated in a conspiracy that spanned from August 2000 through April 2019. During that time, she shoplifted items as she traveled throughout the United States. She would then sell the stolen merchandise to buyers on eBay and via direct internet sales and sent it to them via the U.S. mail, Federal Express and United Parcel Service.
Richardson stole items from numerous retail stores. She used shoplifting tools to disable security devices and would exit the store by placing the stolen merchandise in a large black bag she carried. Richardson assisted in the sale of the items on the internet as well as packaging and mailing the stolen items.
Buyers sent approximately $3.8 million throughout the scheme into four PayPal accounts linked to Richardson.
Richardson was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Secret Service and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek prosecuted the case.