Katy ISD superintendent accused of being a student bully

KATY, Texas (KTRK) -- A Katy man says he was bullied as a young boy in junior high school and claims the bully is current KISD Superintendent Dr. Lance Hindt.

"I started in 1975 with Mr. Lance, my legal name is Greg Gay," said the alleged victim.

Gay addressed the KISD school board during the open forum session Monday night.

"One day at lunch, I had my head shoved in a urinal, where it busted my lip. I had laid on the ground in the fetal position as the kids kicked me."

He says the bullying was so severe he tried to take his own life.

"Well I went home and I got the .45 out of my father's drawer and put it in my mouth because at this point I had nobody. Nobody in the school system to help me," said Gay.

In the video, posted to the KISD website, Gay ends his statement by alleging current Superintendent Dr. Lance Hindt was that bully.

"Lance, you were the one that shoved my head in the urinal," Gay claimed.

Gay spoke with Eyewitness News and says it happened in the mid-1970's when both were at West Memorial Junior High School, in Katy.

"I needed to come forward with my story to try to make somebody listen up there that can make policy changes that teachers can be held accountable for not doing anything."

He says he is now married with children and owns his own business, but says the trauma of that bullying never left him.

"It's a pain you carry with you your whole life because you didn't do anything wrong. I can't help that my last name when I was born was Gay."

In fact, Gay says he almost legally changed his last name, but his grandfather asked him not to.

He says he did change it with the district to his mother's maiden name.

Gay explained this confrontation was personal, he was seeking closure, but he also tells Eyewitness News he is making the allegations public more than 40 years later as a matter of student safety today.

"I'm hoping that they can make (a) change and hold teachers accountable because I mean when this happened to me, no teachers would help me, none."

In the video, Dr. Hindt appears to laugh-off the claim and asks for the next speaker to be called.

When Eyewitness News reached out to Katy ISD they released the following statement:

"It was difficult for me to listen to a gentleman Monday night recount a bullying incident he said occurred more than 35 years ago. As superintendent in three school districts in Texas, I have always tried to create an environment where every student is safe -- physically and emotionally. But when an individual impugns my character and reputation as the instigator of those actions, I am disappointed because it simply is not true. I do not recall this person from my childhood. I did not graduate from the same high school as Mr. Barrett, though we did attend the same junior high in 1978. And my junior high principal -- Mr. McMeans -- would never have let me (or anyone else) get away with the actions he described.
I do not suggest that Mr. Barrett was not bullied, only that I was not part of it. Bullying is wrong. Period. It was then and it is today. At Katy ISD, we are always looking for ways to make our campuses and our students safe. I am proud to lead a district that is not afraid to confront bullying behavior - whether in person or online. We are always challenging our teachers and principals to identify harmful behavior and to intervene as necessary."

Lance Hindt, Ed.D.
Superintendent, Katy ISD