Hempstead ISD superintendent indicted
HEMPSTEAD, TX (KTRK) -- The Hempstead ISD superintendent, who has come under fire in recent months, has been indicted.
On Wednesday, Eyewitness News learned Delma Flores-Smith was indicted on three counts. Flores-Smith was just hired last summer.
Her indictment includes accusations of lying on her resume and failure to produce her resume despite a public records request.
There have been tensions after among other things, a principal asked students not to speak Spanish.
On Thursday, Flores-Smith's attorney issued the following statement:
"Hempstead ISD Superintendent Delma Flores-Smith, responding to criminal accusations brought against her yesterday by the Waller County District Attorney, posted three $500 bonds this afternoon and remains free while awaiting trial on the charges.
Delma Flores-Smith is 100% completely innocent of these charges," stated Flores-Smith's attorney, Brent Mayr. Mayr continued, "Mrs. Flores-Smith has an impeccable record and a proven track record for turning low performing and problematic schools into success stories. She was brought to Hempstead ISD to do exactly that. She identified problems of financial mismanagement and impropriety within the administration and took corrective action. She acted quickly, along with the board, to take action against a school principal who infringed upon the rights of her students by demanding they not speak Spanish in school. It is those who oppose and disagree with her actions to do the right thing for the students of Hempstead ISD that have leveled these charges against her. No crime was committed. There was no legitimate investigation by law enforcement. These charges are nothing more than a political witch hunt designed to remove her from her position. Mrs. Flores-Smith is confident that the criminal justice system will provide her a fair and impartial forum for hearing her case and, that at the end of the day, she will be entirely exonerated and cleared of any wrong doing."
"The actions taken by the Waller County District Attorney are reminiscent of a similar instance of charges leveled against former Houston ISD Superintendent Abelardo Saavedra. In 2000, while superintendent of the Corpus Christi ISD, felony charges were brought against Saavedra for tampering with a government document, theft, and abuse of office over the misuse of school funds. Saavedra was ultimately acquitted of the charges and the district was forced to pay over $200,000 in legal fees to cover the cost of his defense. Saavedra subsequently came to the Houston ISD where he served with the district for close to six years before stepping down in 2009.
"No court dates have been set yet in Flores-Smith's case."
