Katy ISD Officials Cleared

HoustonChronicle.com - Ethics panel clears 2 in Katy ISD in election case

Were I at a cynical high, I could just shrug my shoulders and say something like "How typical." And, in a way, it is:

The Texas Ethics Commission has dismissed complaints against two high-ranking Katy ISD officials accused of using district computers to urge employees to vote for incumbents in a school board election earlier this year. ADVERTISEMENT

Fort Bend District Attorney John Healey, however, is expected to file this week dozens of complaints with the commission against other employees who may have broken election laws in using district computers to e-mail campaign messages.

Fred Hink, a 2004 school board candidate, filed the complaints against Ronald Jetton, executive director for campus administrative support, and Janine Phillips, executive director for elementary education, accusing them of violating the election code. The code prohibits using district resources to distribute political advertising.

The violation is a Class A misdemeanor, and violators could face criminal charges and/or civil fines, Healey said.

The commission declined to comment on its decision, but district spokeswoman Kris Taylor said Jetton and Phillips had been "cleared."

...

"Taxpayers should understand that it is apparent that rampant campaigning by KISD employees should be considered highly unethical at best and that the powers that be in KISD are very serious about keeping this current board intact," Hink said. "That reeks of the worst kind of slime, in my opinion."

All three incumbents were re-elected in the May 7 election.

Instead, it's just one more item for the bulletin board that stands as yet another clarion call for reform.