Records reveal investigation that led Lamar CISD to fire, then reinstate police chief, lieutenant

Updated 2 hours ago
ROSENBERG, Texas (KTRK) -- Newly obtained records reveal more about the investigation that led Lamar Consolidated ISD to fire its police chief and a lieutenant before later reinstating both as part of negotiated separation agreements.

The district is also pushing back on claims that the reinstatements cleared former Police Chief Henry Garcia and Lt. Maria Molina, saying its investigative findings never changed.

For months at the end of last school year, questions swirled around the future of Garcia and Molina after both were placed on leave in February.

The district would not say why they were placed on leave or identify the officers, but records show Lamar CISD hired outside attorney Clay Grover to investigate.

In March, Superintendent Roosevelt Nivens wrote that the investigation found Garcia engaged in unprofessional conduct, specifically that his "physical contact with Molina was captured by a surveillance camera." The district made the same finding against Molina.



The following month, Nivens wrote that Garcia's physical behavior with a subordinate, even if it was welcomed, was "unprofessional and harmful to the police department."

Nivens also called Garcia's lack of judgment especially concerning given his position as police chief.

In a letter to Molina, Nivens wrote that her physical interactions with Garcia while on duty were unprofessional and detrimental to the department.

Both officers were fired on April 7.

SEE ORIGINAL REPORT: Lamar CISD police chief, lieutenant fired amid investigation involving 'embarrassing facts'

The two challenged their terminations and ultimately reached separation agreements with the district. According to the records, Garcia and Molina would be reinstated, receive back pay and be placed on leave until their resignations on June 30.



Attorneys for both officers characterized the outcome as a victory.

"She was innocent the entire time, and it just took us to go through the process," Molina's attorney, Matthew Banister, told ABC13.

Garcia's attorney, Larry McDougal, Jr., also said his client wanted the public to know "that there was nothing that happened and it was unfounded."

Lamar CISD, however, says that's not what happened.



Following an ABC13 report, the district said public statements by Garcia contain "factual inaccuracies." The district also insisted its investigative findings "have not changed."

The officers' reinstatements, the district said, were part of negotiated employment separations and "did not change, negate or invalidate the investigation."

The separation agreements were also supposed to remove references to the disciplinary action from the officers' employment records.

However, Molina, who was recently hired by the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office, did not benefit from that condition.

According to her application, obtained by Eyewitness News from Precinct 4 through an open records request, she applied for that job before the agreement with Lamar CISD was finalized and a handwritten note in the previous employment section states that the "chief and her were terminated over allegations of being together."



Meantime, Garcia's attorney disputes the district's characterization of the outcome.

In a statement Friday, McDougal said what the parties ultimately agreed to are "not the actions of an employer that prevailed on its allegations."

He said the terminations were overturned on appeal and that suggesting otherwise "raises serious concerns that the district is retaliating against Mr. Garcia and attempting to tarnish his reputation despite the outcome of the appeal."

Lamar CISD said the matter is closed and it will have no further comment.

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