A scandal-plagued Central Texas school district has a new woe.
According to KEYE, former Round Rock ISD Police Chief Dennis Weiner has sued the district, claiming the district violated the Texas Whistleblower Act when officials declined to renew his contract.
As previously reported, Weiner’s lawsuit stems from a letter he sent to district Superintendent Hafedh Azaiez last April. The letter alleged that district leadership covered up a sexual assault of a five-year-old female student.
The district removed Weiner from his position shortly afterward.
That announcement followed the release of a “Culture and Climate” report regarding the school district police on social media. Concerned citizens who got the report through a public information request posted it online. Notably, the district had appealed the request for the report to the Texas attorney general’s office. The AG’s office ordered the district to release the requested documents.
The report suggested the department was “chaotic,” “toxic,” “full of favoritism,” and in need of reform.
Weiner’s subsequent letter regarding the alleged sexual assault claimed it took place on Friday, April 12. He wrote that it involved a five-year-old girl and an 11-year-old on a district-owned and operated school bus. The assault was reportedly witnessed by a district bus driver, who made a transportation supervisor aware of the situation. They reviewed video footage of the assault and sent a copy to school administrative leadership but never informed the police. The administration spoke with the involved parties and their guardians and released them for the day.
It wasn’t until Monday, April 15, at “nearly” 4 p.m., that a campus assistant principal called police dispatch requesting that an officer call her back to document the assault according to Weiner’s letter.
He asserted that the elementary school principal, area superintendent, senior chief of schools, general counsel, Title IX investigator, and Azaiez knew of the criminal activity but failed to report it to the district police.
Additionally, Weiner added that he had met with Azaiez at 1 p.m. on April 15 for their scheduled one-on-one meeting, and Azaiez asked if Weiner had heard anything from the elementary school. Weiner responded, saying he had not and asked Azaiez what it was regarding; he reportedly said he did not have any details and only knew that there were “language issues involved.”
The letter also reveals that after an investigation was launched into the alleged assault, it was found that the 11-year-old subject had previously assaulted both the victim and another student on the same bus route.
Weiner also alleged that since he joined the district police, he’s “experienced numerous practices of non-reporting and delayed reporting of crimes and interference with police operations and investigations by district staff.”
Texas Scorecard contacted Round Rock ISD for comment. The district said it had not yet been served in the lawsuit.
