Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District trustees voted to retain the law firm Thompson & Horton for district legal work and authorized Superintendent Ashley Colas to retain an independent ethics attorney to review any actual or potential conflicts related to the Robb Elementary School litigation.

The vote followed several hours of closed-session briefings and public discussion about whether a single firm could ethically represent both district interests and other parties connected to the Robb Elementary matters. Trustee Quinones moved to authorize the superintendent to obtain independent ethics counsel; Trustee Flores seconded the motion, which the board approved after discussion and some trustees announcing abstentions for perceived conflicts of interest.

Trustee Rizzo, speaking before the vote, said the board had repeatedly been "failed and failed and failed" by prior legal advice and urged careful scrutiny before moving forward. Rizzo added that perception matters in Uvalde and urged any retained counsel to learn the names of survivors and stakeholders and notify the board immediately of potential conflicts.

An attorney from Thompson & Horton addressed the board during the discussion and said the firm had followed a fact-specific process to check for conflicts, that it had disclosed known representations to district leadership, and that it regretted any miscommunication about the timing of those disclosures. The attorney told the board the firm would continue to disclose potential conflicts and welcomed an independent review.

The board’s action instructs the superintendent to secure an independent ethics review to determine whether any conflicts exist and to report findings to the trustees. Trustees said the district expects prompt disclosure if new conflicts appear. The motion’s passage clears the way for Thompson & Horton to proceed with district matters while the independent review is completed.

Board members emphasized that the decision was intended to preserve transparency while allowing the district to obtain legal advice needed to comply with court orders and meet deadlines related to public records and litigation.