SAN ANTONIO — Amid continued outcry from community members and the looming start to the school year, Uvalde CISD officials said it was cancelling yet another special meeting to discuss embattled district Police Chief Pete Arredondo's job status, citing a desire to ensure his "due process rights are met."
The school board was first set to meet on July 23, following up on Superintendent Hal Harrell's recommendation that Arredondo be fired amid scrutiny over his role in the disastrous law enforcement response at Robb Elementary in May. Arredondo's attorney, however, requested that that hearing be delayed.
Legally, the district cannot terminate Arredondo's contract without first detailing their charges against the chief and allowing him to defend himself.
District officials say they later proposed the hearing be rescheduled for Thursday evening. Nowhere on the district's website, however, is there indication that a special meeting was to be held that evening; only that the next regular meeting would occur later in August.
Now, just 24 hours before that meeting was set to begin, a Uvalde CISD spokesperson said the wait for that conversation about Arredondo's future with the district would continue.
The district says Arredondo's attorney requested the second cancellation, citing "a scheduling conflict."
Arredondo has been on unpaid administrative leave since July 22.
Both the Uvalde community and state officials said Arredondo could have done more to save those killed in the May 24 massacre where 19 children and two teachers died at the hands of an 18-year-old gunman. .
Following July's cancelation, parents expressed their frustration, with one father saying, "there's some outrage out there."
Texas law enforcement regulators in July said they had received almost daily emails demanding that Arredondo’s policing license be revoked, but officials say it isn’t that simple under state law. One complication is that Arredondo’s firing, should it be approved, would have to be categorized as either an honorable, general or dishonorable discharge.
Arredondo will remain on unpaid leave for the time being.