Ex-Bowie High School principal resigns from school district

El Paso Independent School District Interim Superintendent Vernon Butler has accepted the resignation of former Bowie High School principal Jesus Chavez.

Earlier this month Chavez had asked the school board to consider giving him his job back but they unanimously denied his appeal. Chavez was reassigned from being principal of Bowie High School to working on administrative duties in April because of his alleged involvement in the cheating scandal that rocked EPISD and sent former superintendent Dr. Lorenzo Garcia to federal prison.

“(On Monday), I accepted the resignation of former Bowie High School principal, Dr. Jesus Chavez, effective immediately. Dr. Chavez was hired by former Superintendent Lorenzo Garcia in 2008 to lead Bowie High School and was reassigned to EPISD central office in April of this year,” Butler said in a statement. “In the 28 days since taking charge of EPISD, I have been working to fulfill my commitment to ensure accountability at all levels of the District’s leadership, and we still have much more work to do. In my prior efforts to reform Bel Air High School from an underperforming campus to a National Blue Ribbon School, I know that change doesn’t come easy, but I am optimistic that EPISD will emerge from this tragedy as a stronger district that the community can be proud of once again.”

The EPISD board members earlier this month denied Chavez’s grievance appeal and a chance to be principal again, not only at Bowie, but any school within EPISD. They decided to side with recommendations made at the time of his reassignment.

Chavez was reassigned in April to administrative duties after he told investigators he violated district rules and said he had to bend policy. Some teachers accuse Chavez of forcing students out of school, not following due process which is against the law. Teachers also claim he changed grades and gave students credit for courses they had not yet taken just to manipulate test scores.