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Sharyland community members speak out on alleged hazing incident

Details on an alleged hazing incident involving students at Sharyland Pioneer High School last semester remain unclear, angering community members.

During a special school board meeting Wednesday, Sharyland Pioneer students and community members confronted the school board over what they say is inaction on the school district to punish the students involved.

 

Nancy Ramones address the Sharyland school board of trustees during a special meeting Wednesday, January 15, 2020. Progress Times photo by Jose De Leon III.

“My son is on the swim team and I want to know if this actually happened or if it’s just hearsay and if the school will do enough to address it,” Rosalia Romero, a parent attending the meeting said. “It’s frustrating that we’re finding out about this through gossip instead of the board letting us know.”

Details of the hazing incident came out publicly following an article from The Monitor that was published Tuesday. The article says a student was the victim of an “inappropriate” hazing incident involving members from Sharyland Pioneer High School’s swim team last fall that was investigated by a Corpus Christi law enforcement agency.

A spokesperson from the Corpus Christi Police Department confirmed Thursday investigators had been assigned to the case which was reported in late December and that the investigation was in its “beginning stages.”

Among the students from Sharyland Pioneer High School who addressed the board were Nancy Ramones, a senior who says she personally knows the victim.

According to Ramones, the students involved in the hazing incident were suspended to the district’s Alternative Education Program-while the victim had to transfer to a different school.

“The people involved only got AEP, I don’t feel it was fair they came back to the school and the victim had to move schools because he couldn’t go back to somewhere he was violated,” Ramones told the board.

Prior to her comments, Ramones said students had been aware of the incident since the Christmas break and that the student doing the hazing wasn’t properly punished due to ties to a campus official.

“Underclassmen were the ones punished for witnessing it but they witnessed it only because they were scared it would happen to them too,” Ramones told the board. “This is something they called an ‘initiation’ something that happens to freshmen so they were scared that would happen to them too. I just think there should be more of a punishment.”

As these comments were made during the board meeting’s public comments session, board members did not respond to them. When asked for comment, district Superintendent Maria M. Vidaurri released a statement to the Progress Times.

“The District was recently made aware of an incident that took place off campus during the Fall 2019 Semester.  Upon learning of the incident, an internal investigation was conducted, and the appropriate local authorities were immediately notified,” according to the statement. “Due to the nature of the allegations and the involvement of students, the District is not at liberty to release any additional information at this time.  Please be assured that the District takes all allegations of misconduct seriously and has addressed this matter with great care and concern for all involved.”

After the meeting, Vidaurri said the district is considering publicly addressing the hazing incident on social media but declined to comment further.

Several Sharyland Pioneer parents spoke to the Progress Times under the condition of anonymity and said they all personally know the victim and claimed the student athlete involved in the hazing incident has ties to a campus official.

“This kid got a three-day suspension from school on punishment, that’s a slap on the wrist,” one parent said. “We’re worried for the community and the kids because if he did this and didn’t suffer consequences, what will happen to other kids? We know the victim, how can I let my kids join sports if I don’t know if they’ll be safe after this incident happened?”

Another student who addressed the board was Franky Aranda who criticized the district after hearing that witnesses of the hazing incident got three days of suspension. He said this was light in comparison to his seven-week suspension he received last year for posting a video on his Snapchat of a student bringing a replica of a gun to campus, causing him to miss five track meets.

“So either my punishment was too far, or this punishment was not enough,” Aranda said. “It was an illegal act and three days does not justify illegal activity.” 

One resident, Gilda Rodriguez, expressed faith in the board to address these allegations.

“I have my 10-year-old here with me and I know you all personally and I just don’t want this to happen in our school district again and I know you will take care of this,” Rodriguez said. “You will address the matter, so please listen. Don’t turn a blind eye like the community says you will. I hope my son doesn’t deal with something like this when he’s a freshman at Pioneer.”

35 Comments

  1. Ninfa Herrera on January 16, 2020 at 8:20 pm

    Disgusting and mismanagement of the hazing incident, so the victim transfered to another school, the upperclassmen witnessing get punished, the perpetrators get what, a 3 day suspension? And why , oh yes there is a relative on the campus board. Where is the justice here, Mission might be a small City but this is not the sticks, sickening is what it is.

  2. Addison on January 17, 2020 at 8:52 am

    I would they do that. What is wrong with them. And the fact that they barely got punished. Is INACEPTABLE

    • Cassandra on January 18, 2020 at 3:08 am

      And they still calling it a hazing accident? This Was Rape!!! They All need to be held accountable!!! Principle School District employees Swim Teacher/Coach EveryOne Involved In The Cover Up! This Needs To be taken to higher authority Before They Try To Cover Up Again And Say It’s all A Rumor, It’s Not True!!
      That’s Were all The suicides/Tragedy Come In! UNACCEPTABLE

    • Cassandra on January 18, 2020 at 3:16 am

      They all need to be held accountable!!!
      School District Employess, Swim Coach/ Teacher PRINCIPAL everyone involved This need to go to higher authority UNACCEPTABLE and they still call it hazing incident? ridicules This Is Called Rape. It is sad that the people that are there to protect kids and teach them were part or took part of all this just because he was son of the principal this is were all the suicides/Tragedy’s come in hopefully they get what they deserve it is only fair for the victim/ Victims!!

  3. Rolando Garcia on January 17, 2020 at 9:30 am

    Does anyone know for sure what the actual incident was? When is the next school board meeting?

    • Marla Laminack on January 17, 2020 at 10:11 am

      I’ve read that it was a sexual assault but the boy who committed the act is the principal’s son. I read that in an article on the RVG: Truth and Justice Facebook page so can’t verify it. If this is true, anyone involved in the incident needs to be arrested.

      Apparently, this “hazing” has been going on at this school for many years. The principal, swim team coaches and any other school administrators, coaches or teachers that knew the hazing happens need to be fired.

      School is supposed to be a safe place for our children. They shouldn’t expect to be sexually assaulted in order to play varsity sports.

    • Jose De Leon III on January 17, 2020 at 10:35 am

      The next school board meeting is scheduled for Monday at 6 pm in the Sharyland High School auditorium

      • Marquess Vela on January 17, 2020 at 2:08 pm

        Will it be open to the public? or just to members of the board?

        • Jose De Leon III on January 17, 2020 at 5:16 pm

          All board meetings and workshops are open to the public.

    • Gaby on January 17, 2020 at 1:54 pm

      The victim was raped with an object by other students during a swimming meet at Corpus.

    • Vanessa on January 17, 2020 at 2:01 pm

      The actual incident was that the principals son, raped a freshman with a shampoo bottle. The principal’s son only got three days of suspension. The other freshman that watched this happen received more of a punishment than the guy who did it.

      • a kID on January 17, 2020 at 2:02 pm

        Thats not what happened actually

      • James Gonzalez on January 17, 2020 at 2:02 pm

        Y’all are spreading rumors, this isn’t right. If you don’t know what happened don’t reply

        • Ayleen on January 21, 2020 at 8:34 pm

          The whole reason rumors are spreading is because the district has not addressed the incident at all. No matter what the case was these students (or student) involved should meet the necessary repercussions. It’s an embarrassment that the district has only recently been aware of the issue, or so they claim, and them themselves should have their positions reevaluated.

      • Cassandra Ruiz on January 18, 2020 at 3:18 am

        They all need to be held accountable!!!
        School District Employess, Swim Coach/ Teacher PRINCIPAL everyone involved This need to go to higher authority UNACCEPTABLE and they still call it hazing incident? ridicules This Is Called Rape. It is sad that the people that are there to protect kids and teach them were part or took part of all this just because he was son of the principal this is were all the suicidal/Tragedy’s come in hopefully they get what they deserve it is only fair for the victim/ Victims!!

  4. Charlie on January 17, 2020 at 12:29 pm

    This is unacceptable and it’s a criminal offense. It’s not hazing, it’s a sexual assault. If the victim were a female and the same thing happened, everyone would be looking at in a different way. The fact is, gender should not matter, the offense is the same regardless of gender.

  5. a kID on January 17, 2020 at 1:40 pm

    tHEY SAId a Nick Gurr know, gotta cash out

    • The Box on January 17, 2020 at 1:49 pm

      Eyyyy urrrrrr

    • The Box on January 17, 2020 at 1:57 pm

      Eyyyy urrrrr

  6. a kID on January 17, 2020 at 1:54 pm

    Eyyyy urrrrrr

  7. James Gonzalez on January 17, 2020 at 1:58 pm

    Bustin our the coupe to the lot😎

  8. a kID on January 17, 2020 at 2:01 pm

    told em f 12 f swat

  9. Thomas Fry on January 17, 2020 at 2:11 pm

    I just hit a lick with the box

  10. a kID on January 17, 2020 at 2:12 pm

    Had to put a stick the box

  11. Thomas Fry on January 17, 2020 at 2:13 pm

    mm

  12. a kID on January 17, 2020 at 2:15 pm

    Pour up the whole dang seal

  13. Thomas Fry on January 17, 2020 at 2:15 pm

    IMA GET LAZZZZZZYYYYYYYYY

    • Anonymous on January 18, 2020 at 1:08 pm

      She sucked a Nick gurrr souuuuuuuulllll

  14. Anonymous on January 17, 2020 at 9:22 pm

    Seriously just don’t understand what kids have to do to feel respected now a days especially in school. How wrong! Something you’d call a bad boy am I right. Lol

  15. Anonymous on January 18, 2020 at 12:53 am

    For those who are making a joke out of this situation y’all better stop it is not a laughing matter. Rape is something you should laugh about consider not making the situation worse.

  16. Cassandra Ruiz on January 18, 2020 at 3:18 am

    They all need to be held accountable!!!
    School District Employess, Swim Coach/ Teacher PRINCIPAL everyone involved This need to go to higher authority UNACCEPTABLE and they still call it hazing incident? ridicules This Is Called Rape. It is sad that the people that are there to protect kids and teach them were part or took part of all this just because he was son of the principal this is were all the suicidal/Tragedy’s come in hopefully they get what they deserve it is only fair for the victim/ Victims!!

  17. Mimi on January 20, 2020 at 1:10 pm

    All I know is somebody is in deep trouble 😬

  18. Michelle on January 22, 2020 at 8:11 pm

    I hope the parents of the victim push for the boy who raped him to register as a sex offender and those that recorded be charged with child pornography

  19. A Lopez Anonymous on January 25, 2020 at 9:00 am

    Why hasn’t the Texas Rangers been notified in this hazing/sexual assault case at Pioneer Sharyland High School. It was reported to the Texas Rangers in the case in La Vernia High School basketball case back in April 2019. I believe the Texas Rangers should be notified ASAP.

  20. A Lopez on January 25, 2020 at 9:09 am

    I believe the Texas Rangers should be notified in this hazing/sexual assault case with Pioneer Sharyland High School seniors that were involved in horrific crime. Just like they were involved in the case in La Vernia High School basketball sexual assault case that some seniors were involved back in April 2019 that The Texas Rangers need to be involved. AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

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