Grand jury indicts four in LVHS scandal




LVN FILE PHOTO

A Wilson County grand jury has indicted four former La Vernia High School students for engaging in organized criminal activity.

Dustin Norman, Christian Brock Roberts, Alejandro Ibarra, and Colton Patrick Weidner, all 20, were indicted June 14 and face arraignment July 15.

The Texas attorney general’s office would not speculate on how soon the defendants would go to trial.

However, Kayleigh Lovvorn of the attorney general’s office said, “As of now, it looks like the trials will be held in Wilson County.”

The four young men were among 13 arrested in March and April 2017, following accusations of sexual assaults in the high school’s athletics department.

“Due to the sensitive nature of the allegations, as well as federal law protecting all students’ privacy rights, the [school] district cannot and will not comment regarding the alleged involvement of any student athlete,” La Vernia Independent School District said in a June 18 statement regarding the indictments.

The allegations that came to light in 2017 described the assaults as part of “extreme hazing” or “initiation rituals” for players promoted to varsity teams. They involved the school’s football, basketball, track, soccer, and baseball programs, and may have begun years earlier.

La Vernia High School’s administration received information about the allegations in February 2017 and immediately reported them to La Vernia police, according to the district.

Six of the 13 students arrested and charged with sexual assault — a second-degree felony — were 17 or 18 at the time and were charged as adults.

Conviction of a second-degree felony in Texas carries a penalty of two to 20 years in a Texas Department of Criminal Justice facility.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton took over prosecution of the case April 17, 2017, following requests for recusal from 81st Judicial District Attorney Audrey Louis and Wilson County Attorney Tom Caldwell. The Texas Rangers took over the case’s investigation from La Vernia police.

Dr. José Moreno, superintendent at the time of the arrests, resigned in November 2017. Dr. Trent Lovette was hired the following April.

Civil lawsuits have been filed against the school district over the allegations.

Throughout the criminal investigation, the district has asserted that it has received only limited information about the case.

“We understand that the criminal investigation is ongoing, and we continue to cooperate fully with the authorities,” the district’s statement said.


From 2017 until now

Here’s a quick review of the ongoing case:

•February 2017: La Vernia Independent School District was advised of an investigation into allegations of assault by male high school athletes on fellow male athletes.

•March 2017: The school district advised it was fully cooperating with an investigation by the La Vernia Police Department into the allegations; by the end of the month, nine young men had been arrested on charges of sexual assault.

•April 2017: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office took over prosecution of the case, after the Wilson County attorney and 81st District Attorney requested recusal, due to “the magnitude of the case plus our connection to the community.” The Texas Rangers took over the investigation; by the end of the month, the number of arrests had risen to 13. Those who were 17 or older at the time of the alleged assaults were charged as adults.

•April 2017: Parents of one of the alleged victims filed a civil suit against seven La Vernia ISD administrators and coaches in the U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas, alleging the personnel knew about the assaults. The case was refiled in November 2017 with a new attorney, due to ill health of the original attorney.

•April 2017: La Vernia ISD launched an internal investigation focused on staff interviews and violations of school policy.

•April 2017: La Vernia ISD expelled a number of the students arrested.

•November 2017: District Superintendent José Moreno resigned and was succeeded April 2, 2018, by Dr. Trent Lovette.

•June 14, 2019: Four of the 13 young men arrested were indicted by a Wilson County Grand Jury.