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Saturday, October 30, 2021 • Vol. 66 • No. 44
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SPX fires educator for ‘boundary-crossing’ behavior By Adam Zuvanich azuvanich@theleadernews.com
St. Pius X High School recently fired a teacher and athletic coach over what it called a “pattern of boundary-crossing behavior” by the male faculty member in his interactions with students. Head of School Daniel P. Martinez, in an Oct. 22 email sent to parents and guardians that was obtained by The Leader, said the dismissal stemmed from an internal investigation into allegations of inappropriate comments
made to students by the teacher and coach. Martinez said Monday that multiple students came forward last week about multiple encounters with the employee, who was placed on administrative leave Oct. 20 and terminated with cause two days later. Martinez said the alleged behavior by the teacher and coach was not physical or abusive, but showed favoritism, over-familiarity and a lack of respect for personal space. The Leader is not naming the former faculty mem-
ber because he has not been arrested or charged with a crime, according to Martinez, who said the private Catholic school at 811 Donovan St. reported its findings to the Houston Police Department and Texas Education Agency. “It was a pattern of behavior where it led students to feel uncomfortable,” Martinez said. “After that first report (was made by a student early last week), the comments (by other students) were, ‘There’s See SPX P. 6A
Photo by Adam Zuvanich St. Pius X High School dismissed a teacher and coach over what it determined was inappropriate comments made toward students.
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INSIDE.
Family tradition. Halloween is an especially enjoyable occasion for an Oak Forest family.
Page 6A
Contributed photo Andrew Bell, a 5-year-old Oak Forest resident, created a 3D replica of Minute Maid Park for a kindergarten project earlier this year. He’s planning to stay up past his usual bedtime to watch the Houston Astros in the World Series.
Area fans show team spirit for World Series By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
Bound for Barcelona. Heights artist Elena Sandovici will soon display her work in Spain.
Page 11A
In her honor. Friends of a late area resident made a Dia de los Muertos altar to celebrate her.
Page 5B
Sports enthusiasm can take many forms depending on the fan and their stage in life. The fandom of one local boy is in rare form as he recently took a creative avenue for expressing his passion for his hometown See related baseball team. column by Adam Oak Forest resident Rebecca Bell Zuvanich said her 5-year-old son, Andrew, a TPage 5A ball player with the Oaks’ Dads Club, recently turned in his first kindergarSee related story ten project, which was to make a 3D replica of a community building. And Page 6A Andrew’s building of choice was none other than Minute Maid Park, where the Houston Astros hosted the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday and Wednesday for the first two games of the World Series. “He chose Minute Maid Park because he believes in the Contributed photo Astros, and feels that October brings the community togeth- Garden Oaks resident Jaime Zamora, left, takes a selfie with er,” Rebecca Bell said. friend Paul Holland during Game 6 of the ALCS last week at Minute Maid Park. See Astros P. 7A
See Redistricting P. 6A
Local high school bands shine in UIL competition
THE INDEX. Church....................................................... 6A Classifieds.............................................. 7A Coupons. ................................................. 8B Food/Drink/Art............................... 11A Opinion. ................................................... 5A Public Information......................... 2A Puzzles...................................................... 5A Sports. ....................................................... 7B
Some area residents will soon need to familiarize themselves with a new crop of elected officials and challengers who will be trying to earn their votes next year and beyond. The Republican-controlled Texas Legislature redrew the state’s political maps during a special session that ended recently, with Gov. Greg Abbott signing them into law on Monday. The changes Morales were made in response to 2020 U.S. Census data and, barring any successful challenges in the court system, will take effect with the 2022 election cycle and remain in effect for a period of 10 years. The new maps, which can be viewed online at dvr. capitol.texas. gov, apply to Texas’ delegation in the United States Congress as well as representation in the Fletcher Texas House and Senate along with the State Board of Education. The most noteworthy changes in the Heights, Garden Oaks and Oak Forest areas pertain to congressional districts, with one of the state’s two new districts – District 38 – covering a geographic area that includes Memorial Park and locales immediately to the east and south. District 2, where Republican Dan Crenshaw was first elected in 2018, will no longer include the western part of the Heights along with the Timbergrove and Lazybrook neighborhoods. That area will instead be part of District 7, where Democrat Lizzie Fletcher was first elected in 2018. The central part of the Heights along with Garden Oaks and Oak Forest will continue to be served by District 18, where Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee
By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
Photo from Twitter Members of the Heights High School marching band celebrate as band director Antwan Walters, right, reads results from a UIL regional competition earlier this month.
Since taking over the direction of Heights High School’s band, Antwan Walters said he has talked about band being a place of normalcy and providing a sense of comfort for his students. The metaphor helps blend real-world experiences with what is produced on the field in marching band competition, he said, and can provide a boost to
performance by allowing the students to connect with what they are performing. That sentiment was a driving force behind the “Homeward Bound” production performed at last week’s UIL Region III competition, which ultimately earned the band straight “1” scores from competition judges for the first time in school history and sent the Bulldog band to the Class 6A area competition this Saturday at Legacy Stadium in Katy.
“To see all the work put in acknowledged by the judges in a way not been seen in the history of this school was an amazing experience,” Walters said. “... (The show) is basically about the journey home and what makes you feel home. We talk a lot about the band being a sense of home for the students, so it was an opportunity for us to connect what we’ve already experienced with the students to what they See Band P. 7A
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