Both superintendents speak out on Whataburger fight; Socorro school board members were there

UPDATE: Tuesday night’s Socorro Independent School District board meeting began with Superintendent Jose Espinoza apologizing for the negative attention the altercation put on the SISD, but he added: “Let me be very clear this was not a fight, this was an assault.”

Espinoza also confirmed ABC-7’s report that he was at the Whataburger with members of the SISD board of trustees when he was approached by Ysleta Superintendent Xavier De La Torre.

“A San Antonio police officer who is working at the location witnessed Dr. De La Torre headbutt me and saw that I reacted with one single punch which was in self-defense,”Espinoza said.

De La Torre earlier Tuesday denied the headbutting, but Espinoza made it clear Tuesday night that he “will not engage in a back-and-forth with Dr. De La Torre about whether or not he assaulted me.”

Espinoza said the police report on the incident speaks for itself and added that De La Torre “blatantly claiming that this San Antonio police officer would put his career on the line by lying on a police report to assist a complete stranger is criminal.”

He went on to note that “according to the police report for Dr. Del La Torre, the box that’s checked off is intoxicated and there’s also statements from the police officers: slurred speech, blood shot eyes.”

Espinoza said he wasn’t hurt in the incident, so he didn’t press charges. Now with students in the district returning to school next Monday, Espinoza said he just wants to “move forward and put this behind us.”

Earlier report on Tuesday:

A Socorro Independent School District board member told ABC-7 on Tuesday that he and three other board members were present at a San Antonio Whataburger restaurant last month when police say the Socorro and Ysleta school superintendents got into a fight.

Paul E. Garcia said himself along with fellow board members Eduardo Mena, Paul Guerra and David Oscar Morales had accompanied Socorro Superintendent Jose Espinoza to the Whataburger around midnight after wrapping up activities at a school leadership conference.

Garcia said Ysleta Independent School District Superintendent Xavier De La Torre showed up at the same restaurant and approached the Socorro group in an “aggressive” manner consistent with information contained in the police report. In that report, an officer described De La Torre as intoxicated when he allegedly headbutted Espinoza — who responded by throwing a counter punch that put De La Torre on the floor.

Garcia indicated neither he nor Mena actually witnessed the encounter, saying they had stepped away by that point and had their backs to the altercation. However, he said Morales or Guerra may have witnessed the brief fight. The Socorro school board was set to meet Tuesday night, where it was anticipated members may publicly discuss the incident.

De La Torre on Tuesday issued a combination apology for his actions and denial of the police account of him as the aggressor. His statement came as the YISD board simultaneously scheduled a special meeting for July 30 to address the allegations.

“I sincerely apologize for my conduct during the unfortunate incident that occurred in San Antonio last month. This is not who I am. I offer my deepest apologies to the Ysleta Independent School District community and the City of El Paso as a whole,” De La Torre said in a statement.

But he continued, “After deliberation and reflection, I want to be clear that I was not the aggressor in this incident, contrary to recent reports. I did not head butt anyone. I understand there is information in the public domain that states otherwise, but this information is inaccurate as to the actual events that transpired that night.”

A school spokeswoman said De La Torre would offer his version of events at the upcoming board meeting.

YISD board president Cruz Ochoa, who first told ABC-7 on Monday that he planned to call a special meeting, said Tuesday that he wanted to make “one thing absolutely clear – this issue is currently the highest priority at YISD.” He added that he was taking the “allegations of misconduct” seriously, while also ensuring “due process” for De La Torre.