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Parents press HEB ISD trustees over Harwood Junior High incident; superintendent announces behavior task force
Summary
During open forum, parents and community members raised concerns about a recorded altercation at Harwood Junior High and called for staff accountability, more counseling resources and improved training. Superintendent Joe Harrington said a behavior task force is being formed and that information would be released soon.
Multiple parents and community members used the district’s open forum on March 25 to express alarm and demand action after a widely shared recording of an altercation at Harwood Junior High. Speakers asked how staff intervened, what training staff had received, whether the district will add social‑emotional counselors and how the district will prevent similar incidents.
Eric Love, identifying himself as a resident and parent, said he had filed open‑records requests for staff training and assignment information and asked, “What is the standard operating procedure?” He told trustees he believed staff on camera failed to intervene. Dr. Joe Harrington, the superintendent, previously told attendees the district planned to form a behavior task force; Harrington said during the meeting that details about the task force would be released “very soon.”
Other speakers included Charla Maxim, who asked that parents be kept informed of task force recommendations and implementation timelines; Gail Orozco, who described two separate recent incidents involving her children and said she feared the school environment had become more hostile; and Ashley Canceler, who identified herself as a parent and district alumnus and asked the board to commit to proactive anti‑bullying measures and expanded access to social‑emotional counseling on campuses.
Marlene Barat, a PTA member and educator, urged the district to provide staff with “clear and direct training and guidance” so staff feel empowered to intervene in student conflicts and to prioritize prevention and intervention work districtwide. Speakers said they appreciated superintendent communications but demanded concrete timelines and accountability steps.
What’s next: Superintendent Joe Harrington said in earlier remarks that the district would publish information about the behavior task force soon. Parents at the meeting requested regular updates, confirmation of counseling resources at junior highs and high schools, and transparency about any staff training or accountability measures the district will adopt.
