Socorro ISD board members Barrera, Castellano arrested, along with Castellano’s wife

Socorro school board members Pablo Barrera and Ricardo “Richard’ Castellano were arrested Thursday on charges that appear to be related to official duties. Castellano’s wife, Gabriela, a former teacher in Socorro Independent School District, also was arrested.

The nature of the charges appear to be related to official duties.

Ricardo Castellano, 61, and Gabriela Castellano, 57, each face two charges of obstruction or retaliation. Each was released on $4,000 bond.

Barrera, 39, was booked Thursday on four counts of obstruction or retaliation, two counts of official oppression, one count of improper influence, and one count of coercion of a public servant or voter. He was freed on bonds totaling $6,000, jail records show.

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The Castellanos and Barrera  were part of a controversial conversation recorded by Gabriela Castellano in which they demeaned school employees. Barrera was recorded boasting, “We’re school board gods” to Ricardo Castellano.

The Aug. 10, 2021, recording was made by Gabriela Castellano, and she uploaded the 33-hour audio file to the Socorro computer system as part of a complaint against the principal at the school where she taught. El Paso Matters obtained the audio file through a public records request.

The recording triggered a Texas Rangers investigation. The date of offense listed for the Castellanos couple was Aug. 21, 2021, 11 days after the recording. The dates of Barrera’s alleged offenses were May 30, 2022, and July 1, 2022.

An official at the District Clerk’s Office said court files for Barrera and the Castellanos were not immediately available, so the specifics  of the charges could not immediately be determined.

Barrera’s attorney, Mary Stillinger, said her client hasn’t been told the specifics of the allegations against him.

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“No investigator or prosecutor had the courtesy or sense of fairness to contact Mr. Barrera or me to give him notice of this investigation. We cannot speculate about what the allegations are, but I can say that Mr. Barrera is a hard-working and honest public servant, who has always worked to protect the best interests of SISD. We look forward to clearing him of what must be unfounded accusations,” Stillinger said.

El Paso County Sheriff Richard Wiles said the arrests were the result of an investigation by the Texas Rangers.

“They requested assistance today for the arrests.  We made the arrest of  Barrera this morning.  the Rangers made the arrest of the Castellano couple this afternoon and we assisted on those,” Wiles said.

Socorro ISD spokesperson Daniel Escobar said the district was aware of the arrests but had no additional information.

“The focus of the district remains on serving students and supporting staff to ensure the successful completion of the school year,” Escobar said in a statement.

Under Texas law, oppression or retaliation occurs when a person “intentionally or knowingly harms or threatens to harm another by an unlawful act” in retaliation for another action or to prevent or delay the service of a public servant or witness. It is a third-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Official oppression occurs when a public servant, acting under the color of his office, “denies or impedes another in the exercise or enjoyment of any right, privilege, power, or immunity, knowing his conduct is unlawful. It is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.

Coercion occurs when a public servant uses his or her authority to influence a public servant or voter to violate a known legal duty. It also is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by a year in jail and $4,000 fine.

Improper influence occurs when a person “privately addresses a representation, entreaty, argument, or other communication to any public servant who exercises or will exercise official discretion in an adjudicatory proceeding with an intent to influence the outcome of the proceeding on the basis of considerations other than those authorized by law,” according to Texas statutes. It also is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by a year in jail and $4,000 fine.

Barrera is a retired Border Patrol agent and Ricardo Castellano is a retired El Paso police lieutenant. Both were elected by narrow margins in 2021 in an election that changed the balance on the school board, which had supported Superintendent Jose Espinoza. He resigned shortly after the election.

The arrest is the latest problem for the Socorro Independent School District. The Texas Education Agency recently appointed conservators to oversee the administration and school board because of governance issues. The district is in the process of making substantial budget cuts because of deficits, and is searching for a superintendent following the departure of Nate Carman.

Barrera’s wife, Angelica Ramirez, was arrested last year on charges of filing a false police report after getting into an argument with the principal and a teacher at Hueco School.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Two Socorro trustees face criminal charges, wife of one also charged