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Legal action taken against sitting Edcouch-Elsa school board members
Posted: 11.15.2012 at 11:20 PM
Marcy Martinez

Marcy Martinez is an anchor and reporter for Action 4 News.

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Voters have ousted six of seven school board members at Edcouch-Elsa ISD.
           
A week later, sitting members refuse to canvass the vote to handover their seats as Action 4 News first told you.
           
We went looking for those 7 members across Hidalgo County and could not get one of them to explain themselves.
           
Gustavo Acevedo, attorney for the school district, says their lack of attendance is not illegal according to the Texas Secretary of State since they have until Monday to canvass the votes.

Those who showed up to watch it happen and went home disappointed that not even 2 members attended the special school board meeting to swear in the newly elected group are calling the act unethical.
           
Acevedo says in the 25 years he's been representing school boards, he has never witnessed the absence of an entire board.
           
We made call after call and even visited the workplaces of some of the outgoing school board members, but not even one responded to explain why they were not in attendance.
           
Luckily, Acevedo says the events that have unfolded have not disrupted the day to day operations at schools and students we spoke with were virtually oblivious to what is occurring among adults running the district.
           
Meanwhile, the new team took matters into their own hands to make sure they get into the seats they were voted into by filing a writ of mandamus at the Hidalgo County Clerk's Office. It orders the 7 members to appear at the next board meeting set for Monday, November 19th.
           
If at least 2 don't show again, they will then face serious legal consequences.

“We’re hoping it doesn’t come to that,” says Acevedo.

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