Socorro school board member Pablo Barrera was arrested Thursday on four felony and four misdemeanor charges, jail records show.
Barrera, 39, was booked Thursday on four counts of obstruction or retaliation, two counts of official oppression, one count of improper influence, and one count of coercion of a public servant or voter. The records show the date of offenses as May 30, 2022, and July 1, 2022.
An official at the District Clerk’s Office said Barrera’s court file was not immediately available, so the nature of the charges could not immediately be determined. He was freed on bonds totaling $6,000, jail records show.
Under Texas law, oppression or retaliation occurs when a person “intentionally or knowingly harms or threatens to harm another by an unlawful act” in retaliation for another action or to prevent or delay the service of a public servant or witness. It is a third-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Official oppression occurs when a public servant, acting under the color of his office, “denies or impedes another in the exercise or enjoyment of any right, privilege, power, or immunity, knowing his conduct is unlawful. It is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.
Coercion occurs when a public servant uses his or her authority to influence a public servant or voter to violate a known legal duty. It also is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by a year in jail and $4,000 fine.
Improper influence occurs when a person “privately addresses a representation, entreaty, argument, or other communication to any public servant who exercises or will exercise official discretion in an adjudicatory proceeding with an intent to influence the outcome of the proceeding on the basis of considerations other than those authorized by law,” according to Texas statutes. It also is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by a year in jail and $4,000 fine.
Barrera is a retired Border Patrol agent and has served on the school board since 2021.
The arrest is the latest problem for the Socorro Independent School District. The Texas Education Agency recently appointed conservators to oversee the administration and school board because of governance issues. The district is in the process of making substantial budget cuts because of deficits, and is searching for a superintendent following the departure of Nate Carman.
Barrera’s wife, Angelica Ramirez, was arrested last year on charges of filing a false police report after getting into an argument with the principal and a teacher at Hueco School.
Barrera also was part of a controversial conversation recorded by the wife of a fellow trustee in which they demeaned school employees. Barrera was recorded boasting, “We’re school board gods,” to fellow Trustee Ricardo “Richard” Castellano.
The 2021 recording was made by Castellano’s wife, Gabriela, and she uploaded the 33-hour audio file to Socorro the Socorro computer system as part of a complaint against the principal at the school where she taught. El Paso Matters obtained the audio file through a public records request.
The recording triggered a Texas Rangers investigation, but no charges were filed.
The post Socorro ISD board member Pablo Barrera arrested on 8 charges appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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