Bastrop ISD issues trespassing warning after mother claims her girls were bullied
BASTROP COUNTY, Texas - The mother of two girls at Bastrop High School claims her kids were bullied, and now the school district is bullying her.
A hearing on the allegations was held on Monday before the Bastrop ISD school board. A key part of this fight is a trespassing warning the school district issued against the mother.
Members of the Bastrop ISD school board met face-to-face with Yumara Gonzalez and her family.
The special meeting was held to take up a level 3 grievance filed by Gonzalez. Her two daughters attended Bastrop High School and allegedly were victims of physical bullying, as well as social media harassment.
The district rejected the claims after two different investigations.
Valorie Meraz, one of Gonzalez's daughters, expressed her frustration with those reviews and the hearing process.
"I feel like they don’t believe in me and that they offend me. That’s what they do," said Meraz.
The family said Bastrop ISD addressed their concerns only by changing the class schedules of the two girls.
In a statement sent to FOX 7 Austin, district officials said:
"Bastrop ISD is committed to maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment where all students can thrive. We take concerns of bullying very seriously and have policies and procedures in place to address and prevent bullying. Should parents or guardians have specific issues or concerns, we encourage them to reach out through established channels to ensure their voices are heard and addressed appropriately."
After a closed-door hearing, board members again rejected the claims by Gonzalez.
"I move the board to deny the grievance appeal and affirm the decision by the administration and further support the actions taken by the administration on this matter," the school board said.
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"Disappointed, because I was expecting to be helped by the district. They’re not here to help me," said Julio Meraz, the daughters' father.
Family advocate Perla Hopkins, who is helping Gonzalez, is also critical of a criminal trespass warning issued against Gonzalez. It was filed in early May after Gonzalez continued to show up at the high school and district offices to talk about her claims.
The family believes the citation was retaliation.
"They have been told things such as you should move, and they have been here 25 years in Bastrop, so we have a serious issue here," said Hopkins.
The family said they will continue to fight and will consider taking legal action against the district.