Restraining order filed to save Wheatley High School

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- HISD might have started demolishing Wheatley High School in Houston's Fifth Ward, but the community is moving fast to save the school.

The school is located at Lyons and Gregg, on the northeast side. The building has been through several name changes, but it will always be the old Wheatley High School to many, where Congress members Barbara Jordan and Mickey Leland went to class, as well as County Commissioner El Franco Lee and jazz pianist Joe Sample.

During a Tuesday evening meeting at First Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, pews filled fast with people like Kenneth Jones. They're all active in the fight to preserve the original Wheatley High School, a 1929 building.

"This school represents a history that can't be replaced," Jones said.

Attorney Damiane Curvey Banieh filed a temporary restraining order and says aside from erasing history, demolishing this building could provoke significant environmental problems in Fifth Ward.

"The second and third floors is where they started knocking holes into the building, and that's where the asbestos is believed to be," Banieh said.

HISD issued a statement saying, "We respect the legal process and look forward to the judge's response."

A judge will decide Monday morning what should happen next. A lot of people say they plan to attend the court hearing for that decision.