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Patterson: District wasn’t aware of Arredondo appeal processFree Access




Gary Patterson

Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District interim superintendent Gary Patterson said Friday that staff was not checking the email inboxes for its then-defunct police department and missed all notifications about former police chief Pete Arredondo’s appeal to change his dismissal status from general to honorable.

In a statement that appears unedited – at his request – in the Sunday, Feb. 26, edition of the Uvalde Leader-News, Patterson, who assumed the role of interim superintendent on Nov. 1, said the shuffle of staff, along with the retirement of former superintendent Hal Harrell, contributed to the missed correspondence. 

He confirmed the district received written communication, by certified mail, on Oct. 13, before his tenure, but did not indicate what that letter said or what happened to the letter.

Patterson said the district has filed a petition for a rehearing, but he did not say when that petition was filed.

The Leader-News asked district officials on Wednesday, Feb. 22 if UCISD administration was aware of the appeal; who at UCISD was responsible for responding to the appeal; or if a law firm was involved on UCISD’s behalf. 

Though administrators said the information would be provided by end of day on Wednesday, Feb. 22, the newspaper received Patterson’s response, which he asked be printed in its entirety and unedited, on Friday, Feb. 24. It appears on Page 13 as a guest column.

In his comments, Patterson said that emails sent to the interim chief, who during the time in question was Mike Hernandez, were being opened but not forwarded to district staff.

The district appointed Hernandez interim chief on June 22, 2022. He was suspended, along with the entire school police force, on Oct. 7. 

The newspaper contacted Hernandez after receiving the district’s statement, but he declined to comment. Hernandez remains on paid leave.

Arredondo 

On Aug. 24, the UCISD board of trustees unanimously agreed to fire Arredondo for his role in the law enforcement response on May 24. 

He was placed on unpaid leave on July 19, 2022, and was on paid leave for about a month prior, beginning on June 22. 

Arredondo’s status was upgraded by default after the district did not respond during the official appeal process which began in September and concluded on Jan. 31, 2023.

Arredondo is a 30-year law enforcement veteran who joined UCISD in 2020.

On Wednesday, Feb. 22, the newspaper asked Arredondo why he pursued the appeal and if he received any correspondence from UCISD in the process, but he declined to comment.

MFEDERSPILL@ULNNOW.COM, 830-278-3335