“I am truly grateful for your support and well wishes. My decision to retire has not been made lightly and was made after much prayer and discernment.”
The statement comes from Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Superintendent Hal Harrell in a Facebook post by his wife, Donna Goates Harrell. “My wife and I love you all and this community that we both grew up in, and therefore the decision was a difficult one for us.”
Until a new superintendent is selected, Harrell will continue serving this school year, according to the post.
Since the Robb Elementary School shooting that left 19 children and two teachers dead, the superintendent has been under siege as grieving families continue to seek justice for those who fell victim to the 18-year-old gunman Salvador Ramos.
“All of the school board needs to be gone,” Brett Cross, a parent who lost his 10-year-old nephew Uziyah Garcia in the shooting, told CNN.
He spoke directly of superintendent Harrell during a school board meeting in July. “You all do not give a damn about our children or us,” he said, gathering cheers from others in the room.
New details related to the shooting continue to surface. Most recently, the district decided to suspend its entire police department, citing “recent developments that have uncovered additional concerns with department operations.”
Additionally, Lt. Miguel Hernandez and Ken Mueller, director of student services, were placed on administrative leave. According to a statement, Mueller chose to resign.
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Last week, the district hired Crimson Elizondo, a former Texas trooper, to serve Uvalde schools. Shortly afterward, it was discovered that she had been one of the first respondents to arrive at the massacre. Additionally, she was caught on video saying, “If my son had been in there, I would not have been outside. I promise you that.”
The news quickly grabbed the attention of parents, who took to Twitter to shame the district for its lack of attention.
“Seriously, F*** YOU! So our babies weren’t worth it. Our kids mean nothing because they weren’t yours! F*** you!!!!!!,” tweeted Cross after seeing the footage.
“My heart was broken on May 24th and I will always pray for each precious life that was tragically taken as well as their families,” Harrell said in the Facebook post.
His retirement was first announced to district staff in an email last week, just hours after the district announced it was suspending its police force.
“I am in my 31st year in education, all served and dedicated to the students and families here in Uvalde,” the email said.
