Elected trustees in Lorena Independent School District dismissed a second complaint brought by a mother who accused administrators of retaliating against her after she advocated for her special-needs child.
Following a closed-door hearing Monday night, the school board trustees unanimously determined that school administrators’ actions against mom Wendy Harding were justified.
Harding told Texas Scorecard she didn’t expect a different response from district officials this time, but she felt it was important to keep fighting.
“They are not going to give us a fair chance ever, but I still have to fight. It may give others the courage to stand up,” Harding said prior to Monday’s school board meeting to hear her latest Level 3 grievance—the final stage in the local process for parents bringing complaints against the district.
Harding is a single mom to a 6-year-old boy who attended Lorena Primary School until earlier this year.
In her original grievance filed last year, Harding accused Principal April Jewell of removing her from the school’s substitute teacher list as retaliation for raising concerns about her son’s schooling and asking to have him moved to a new classroom.
Jewell claimed that Harding was removed due to poor work performance, although Harding says all her job reviews were positive.
Harding said Jewell objected to her bringing State Board of Education member Evelyn Brooks to a meeting with the principal to help mediate her concerns.
Correspondence obtained by parents through a public information request revealed that, at the suggestion of the district’s legal counsel Meredith Walker of Walsh Gallegos, Jewell’s attorney Andrea Mooney drafted a cease and desist letter to Brooks accusing her of creating a “media frenzy” and attempting to “sabotage” Jewell.
Mooney is also representing Jewell in a federal lawsuit brought by the family of a Lorena Primary School student who was sexually abused by her pre-K teacher.
At Harding’s first Level 3 grievance hearing on February 17, Lorena ISD trustees sided with district administrators, unanimously dismissing her complaint.
Just days before that hearing and decision, Harding says she was subjected to further retaliation while attending her son’s school Valentine’s Day party on February 14, prompting Harding to withdraw her son from Lorena ISD on February 24.
Contrary to district policy, Lorena ISD officials required Harding to file a separate grievance to address the ongoing retaliation, even though it was related to her original complaint.
In her second grievance, Harding presented evidence that two school officials, Assistant Principal Stacy Isom and Media Services Coordinator John Wilson, harassed and intimidated her during the party.
The administrators falsely accused Harding of audio-recording and photographing students without authorization—which others at the party were doing without being questioned—and threatened to have police remove her and issue a criminal trespass warning barring her from campus.
Harding asked that her latest Level 3 grievance hearing on Monday night be held in an open meeting, but trustees denied her request and kept the proceedings secret. Afterwards, Harding publicly shared her hearing statement.
“I am here not only to advocate for myself and my son, but also for those who are too afraid to speak out,” Harding told trustees during public comments prior to Monday night’s closed-door hearing.
“Courage means standing up—even when the odds are stacked against you,” she said.
“The board and district have never once acknowledged wrongdoing or held a single staff member accountable. Not one parent, child, or community member has found meaningful relief through this process—instead, those who speak up are turned into targets,” said Harding.
The number of people who have reached out to me—sharing their own painful experiences with the district and Mrs. Jewell—is both alarming and deeply disheartening. Some are currently navigating this same broken process, seeking justice and accountability. Others remain in the shadows, offering quiet support and encouragement, but too afraid to step forward themselves.
“That silence isn’t consent—it’s fear,” she said. “And the fact that so many are afraid to speak says everything about how this district truly operates.”
Another Lorena parent, Charity Cervantez, spoke in support of Harding and revealed text messages between staff members disparaging Harding and her son as well as “Leopard Team of 8” group texts among the board members and superintendent that potentially violate the Texas Open Meetings Act.
After the hearing, the board of trustees again unanimously determined that district administrators did nothing wrong.
“Tonight, the school board tried to deny Wendy any support during her grievance hearing. Seven board members sat there with their attorney in the middle, running the whole thing,” said Lorena mom Jessica Montez, who was allowed in the hearing as an advocate for Harding after initial attempts by the district to exclude her.
“They also refused Wendy her right to an open meeting, and key evidence was left out of the board packet,” said Montez.
“No evidence was provided that Wendy did anything to justify the threats and intimidation she received from Stacy Isom and John Wilson, or the trespass letter they sent to scare her,” she added. “Instead of accountability, the board chose to protect themselves, leaving a mother unheard and bullied for simply advocating for her child.”
Harding says now that local options are exhausted, she will pursue state and federal action against the the district.
Meanwhile, Harding now happily homeschools her son and says he’s thriving.
