In Uvalde, Texas, the school board is on the hunt for a new trustee after Anabel White stepped down earlier this week, vacating her seat almost two years ahead of schedule. White expressed her gratitude for her tenure with the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District (CISD) in her resignation letter, which was read at Tuesday’s board meeting. The resignation comes just ahead of the second anniversary of the horrific school shooting at Robb Elementary. The Board aims to have a new trustee in place by mid-June, with applications due by June 3, as reported by FOX San Antonio.
Meanwhile, the agony persists for the families affected by the May 2022 massacre that claimed 21 lives at Robb Elementary. A lawsuit alleging "shocking failures" has been filed against 92 Texas Department of Public Safety officers and several CISD officers. The suit coincides with the city of Uvalde reaching an agreement to pay $2 million to the nineteen families, as part of a settlement that includes both monetary and "non-financial stipulations," including the restructuring of the Uvalde Police Department. "The last thing they would want to do was to inflict any financial hardship on their friends and neighbors in this community. Their friends and neighbors did not let them down," Josh Koskoff, one of the attorneys, told FOX San Antonio.
Amidst the resignation and lawsuit developments, the Uvalde CISD has stated that it understands the community’s need for resolution and continued support. Despite the ongoing legal battle, the Uvalde CISD emphasizes its commitment to aiding the community. However, due to the sensitive nature of litigation, they have refrained from commenting further on the matter to maintain the integrity of the legal process.
The settlement with the city may also initiate a turning point for Uvalde. Plans include the establishment of May 24 as Day of Remembrance and the creation of a permanent memorial, in addition to enforcing stricter standards and training for local law enforcement. The City of Uvalde's commitment, outlined in the settlement, includes directives such as collaborating with the U.S. Justice Department on policing standards and training improvements in response to gun violence. But the pain of unaccountability lingers; Koskoff states, "For 77 minutes, 26 members of the Uvalde Police Department failed to confront an 18 year-old kid armed with an AR-15, and no disciplinary action has ever been taken—no firings, no demotions, no transparency."
