Uvalde shooting: Robb Elementary School principal may return to work after brief suspension, attorney says

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Uvalde shooting: Robb Elementary School principal may return to work after brief suspension, attorney says
Uvalde shooting: Robb Elementary School principal may return to work after brief suspension, attorney says

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Cedillo provided CNN with a copy of the letter Gutierrez received Thursday from the department chief, which states she can return to work on July 28, 2022, in an administrative capacity, meaning director.

“Thank you for responding to our request for information by submitting your response to the House investigative report. As a result of our review, you will be cleared to return to work on that date (July 28, 2022),” wrote Hal Harrell, the superintendent of the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District.

“As we discussed today, by mutual agreement, you will continue to serve the District in an administrative capacity. Thank you for helping us as we work through the transition,” Harrell wrote.

CNN has reached out to the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District for comment.

Javier Cazares, whose daughter was killed in the mass shooting, called the principal’s return to work “a slap in our faces,” referring to the victims and their parents.

“As a custodian, she was supposed to make sure the school was safe, and she failed her job, ultimately,” said Cazares, whose daughter Jaclyn was 9.

“This will show you how Uvalde works. They will do anything to protect themselves and forget the children,” Cazares told CNN. “Nobody wants to be held accountable for their actions and inactions and it makes me sick.

On Friday, the last victim left in hospital was released, according to a a tweet from the university health care.

Maya Zamora, 10, is seen on video walking down a hospital corridor handing out roses to nurses and other staff. Everyone in the hall claps and chants “Maya! Maya! Maya!”

“She is our hero and we can’t wait to see all she accomplishes in the future!” the tweet read in part.

Zamora was hospitalized for 67 days.

School district unveils new security measures

Cedillo said his client is not seeking rehab.

“She just wanted to be allowed to continue her efforts to help heal families in the community she loves,” Cedillo said Friday.

“She understands and respects that the grieving process can include anger. It’s a natural reaction and she respects and empathizes with whatever those affected are going through. She is praying for the strength to focus on the healing process, which will be long and possibly never … end,” Cedillo said.

The principal’s reinstatement comes after an exclusive interview with CNN on Wednesday in which Gutierrez defended her actions during the May 24 shooting.

“I feel like I followed the training I was given to the best of my ability,” she said when asked if she thought she should lose her job. “And I will understand myself for the rest of my life.”

During the interview, she disputed the criticism leveled against her in the Texas House Investigative Committee report — which alleged that the school had a culture of not following safety policies, that spotty Wi-Fi could delay active shooter containment and that she failed to use the intercom system to alert the campus.

Gutierrez wrote a letter to the Texas House Investigative Committee and the county on Wednesday defending her actions, saying the allegations against her were “unfair and inaccurate.” Gutierrez also stated that she was pursuing her studies that fateful day and wanted her job back. CNN obtained a copy of the letter from Sedillo.

The legislative committee report also noted that the school’s five-foot exterior fence “was insufficient to significantly deter an intruder.” The shooter is seen on surveillance footage throwing a backpack over the fence and scaling it before the mass shooting.

On Thursday, Harrell tried to reassure parents and students concerned about safety, saying in a YouTube video that eight-foot fences would be erected around all campuses before classes resume on Sept. 6.

Harrell said during school board meetings that the Robb Elementary campus will remain closed in the fall. Instead, the district superintendent in the YouTube video showed portable buildings at Dalton Elementary that he said will be used as classrooms during the school year. All campuses will also have new video surveillance systems, according to Harrell.

Uvalde school officials unveiled efforts to improve security during a tense school board meeting attended by parents Monday.

The plan includes installing armored windows and metal detectors, hiring 10 additional police officers and identifying one entry point for each school. Five officers were employed in the area at the time of the shooting, according to the legislative report.

CNN’s Jeremy Harlan, Andy Babineau and Ray Sanchez contributed to this report.



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