Investigation leads to job re-instatement
The PSJA rumor mill was buzzing last week after longtime PSJA Bears Varsity Head Baseball Coach Marco Guajardo was placed on paid administrative leave after a female district employee filed a complaint (report) against him with the PSJA ISD PD.
The Advance News will file a public information request to gain access to the report, asking that district personnel first redact the complainant’s name, along with the recording that was apparently made between Guajardo and the ISD officer who interviewed him. Will that simple request work without the district asking for an opinion from the Texas AG? Who knows.
Whatever the nature of the complaint, PSJA ISD released a public statement last Friday that basically said, following an internal investigation into the matter, Guajardo will be reinstated as the Bears head baseball coach.
One local Facebook page weighed in, obviously not happy with the outcome: “Coach Guajardo got reinstated in record time, once again proving, flaunting and reminding us that rules don’t apply to them.”
There is no way to know who’s behind this one FB page, but it had more to say, obviously not a fan of Coach Guajardo: “Once again, PSJA ISD’s reputation is soiled. Two months in, and the new majority and the (superintendent) have shown their true colors.”
Such is life in the age of social media. If you’re a public figure, and you get your name in the news or on the gossip circuit, you’re going to take a hit, right or wrong, even with no proof to back up the allegations.
According to the district, as a result of the PSJA ISD PD investigation, based on its findings, a decision was made at Central Office this Monday to reinstate Guajardo as head baseball coach.
In a public statement released the same day, PSJA Administration had this to say: “The PSJA ISD Police Department received an offense report regarding the PSJA Bears Head Baseball Coach and immediately initiated an investigation with the assistance of district officials. As part of that process, the Head Baseball Coach was placed on administrative leave while the investigation was being conducted.”
With a new board majority set in place after last November’s election and a new acting superintendent in place, PSJA ISD needs this like it needs a hole in its head, but the public statement wanted to clarify at least a few more things: “The complaint was thoroughly investigated. The administration, based on the findings of the investigation, decided to reinstate the Head Baseball Coach effective Monday January 9th, 2023. The complainant, at her request, was transferred to a new position.”
One obvious thing the public statement wanted to make clear was that the board trustees weren’t involved in either the investigation or the decision to reinstate Marco Guajardo.
“The Board of Trustees are not part of this process and did not make any decisions regarding investigations such as this one.”
According to several sources, someone close to Guajardo tried to reach out to several board members, hoping for a welcome audience, a sympathetic ear, but were rebuffed. No return phone calls. The district signed off with this paragraph: “PSJA ISD encourages students, parents, and staff to immediately alert administrators and law enforcement officials of any improper situations they may witness or learn about that impact the safety and well-being of our students and staff. The safety of our students and staff is our top priority.”
Why the female district employee contacted the district PD and filed a complaint/report against Guajardo won’t be known unless The Advance can get its hands on the actual report along with the interview recordings made of the baseball coach and the complainant.
As a baseball coach, Marco Guajardo started out as the Bears varsity manager on a relatively hot streak, grew flat for a few years, and then bounced back recently. Last year, his team, including several top-flight assistants, finished the season with a 28-5-1 overall record before winning the District 31-6A championship title with a 15-1 record. In the area round, the Bears lost to Harlingen High.