Uvalde school superintendent announces his retirement as shooting investigation continues
Superintendent of the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Hal Harrell announced his retirement via a Facebook post from his wife on Monday, CNN reports. Harrell is one of several officials facing scrutiny after the May 24 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School killed 19 students and two teachers.
Harrell was at a school board meeting on Monday, where the community seemed divided over supporting him. Some greeted him with a standing ovation, while family members of the victims demanded accountability. CNN reports one resident requested that the board accept his resignation without further investigation.
"Nineteen children, two teachers, someone has to take responsibility for those deaths. We can't just all sit back and wait for an investigation to be completed. We're not asking for criminal charges. We're asking for accountability," the resident said. "You appointed Dr. Harrell, accept his retirement and let's move on and do what we need to do as a community."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Board members held a closed session to discuss replacing Harrell, and they unanimously agreed to search for a new superintendent, CNN reports.
Last week Harrell emailed his staff about his intention to retire, hours after the school district announced that it was suspending its entire police force and placing two officials on leave as they continue to investigate the department's response to the shooting. His email also followed the firing of the recently appointed Crimson Elizondo, a former officer under investigation for her response to the massacre, per CNN.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Theara Coleman has worked as a staff writer at The Week since September 2022. She frequently writes about technology, education, literature and general news. She was previously a contributing writer and assistant editor at Honeysuckle Magazine, where she covered racial politics and cannabis industry news.
-
5 cartoons of mass destruction about Dick Cheney’s legacyCartoon Artists take on hall of fame, pearly gates, and more
-
What happens to a Democratic Party without Nancy Pelosi?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION The storied former speaker of the House is set to retire, leaving congressional Democrats a complicated legacy and an uncertain future
-
The plant-based portfolio diet focuses on heart healthThe Explainer Its guidelines are flexible and vegan-friendly
-
France makes first arrests in Louvre jewels heistSpeed Read Two suspects were arrested in connection with the daytime theft of royal jewels from the museum
-
Trump pardons crypto titan who enriched familySpeed Read Binance founder Changpeng Zhao pleaded guilty in 2023 to enabling money laundering while CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange
-
Thieves nab French crown jewels from LouvreSpeed Read A gang of thieves stole 19th century royal jewels from the Paris museum’s Galerie d’Apollon
-
Arsonist who attacked Shapiro gets 25-50 yearsSpeed Read Cody Balmer broke into the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion and tried to burn it down
-
Man charged over LA’s deadly Palisades Firespeed read 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht has been arrested in connection with the fire that killed 12 people
-
4 dead in shooting, arson attack in Michigan churchSpeed Read A gunman drove a pickup truck into a Mormon church where he shot at congregants and then set the building on fire
-
Colleges are being overwhelmed with active shooter hoaxesIn the Spotlight More than a dozen colleges have reported active shooter prank calls
-
2 kids killed in shooting at Catholic school massSpeed Read 17 others were wounded during a morning mass at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis
