The Butch

[CardinalBacker]

The word is that Beaumont ISD will vote 5-2 tonight to re-rename Beaumont ISD’s stadium on I-10 to “honor” disgraced former superintendent Carrol A Butch Thomas. 
 

For those that don’t remember, The stadium was initially named to honor Thomas while he was still in position as the highest paid Super in the state (and 3rd highest in the nation, if my memory is correct). It’s bizarre to bestow that honor on a super while he’s still in office, but whatever. Subsequent investigations resulted in numerous convictions for fraud during his tenure (both financial and academic) and led to a complete takeover by the state and elimination of the school board. The appointed board had the stadium renamed as to not honor the criminal regime. 
Now that the state has pulled out and an elected board has resumed power, they intend to rename the stadium to “honor” the disgraced former super at great cost to the taxpayer.

You can’t make this stuff up. 

[5GallonBucket]

14 minutes ago, CardinalBacker said:

The word is that Beaumont ISD will vote 5-2 tonight to re-rename Beaumont ISD’s stadium on I-10 to “honor” disgraced former superintendent Carrol A Butch Thomas. 
 

For those that don’t remember, The stadium was initially named to honor Thomas while he was still in position as the highest paid Super in the state (and 3rd highest in the nation, if my memory is correct). It’s bizarre to bestow that honor on a super while he’s still in office, but whatever. Subsequent investigations resulted in numerous convictions for fraud during his tenure (both financial and academic) and led to a complete takeover by the state and elimination of the school board. The appointed board had the stadium renamed as to not honor the criminal regime. 
Now that the state has pulled out and an elected board has resumed power, they intend to rename the stadium to “honor” the disgraced former super at great cost to the taxpayer.

You can’t make this stuff up. 

Knew this was going to happen at some point as soon as this new board took over.

same ole crap

they denounce criminal behavior in one regard and honor it in another 

it all depends on a certain factor 

it’s nation wide 

 

[BLUEDOVE3]

It was after he left the district when his former employees were caught stealing money. Under his administration, BISD flourished. 

[CardinalBacker]

38 minutes ago, BLUEDOVE3 said:

It was after he left the district when his former employees were caught stealing money. Under his administration, BISD flourished. 

No, sir... The bulk of the theft/fraud occurred during the bond issue which Dr. Thomas oversaw.  

[5GallonBucket]

29 minutes ago, CardinalBacker said:

No, sir... The bulk of the theft/fraud occurred during the bond issue which Dr. Thomas oversaw.  

But but but they didn’t get convicted until after Thomas left.....

🤦‍♂️ 

[LumRaiderFan]

1 hour ago, BLUEDOVE3 said:

It was after he left the district when his former employees were caught stealing money. Under his administration, BISD flourished. 

Seriously?

[CardinalBacker]

Can anybody point me to an instance where that certain group was in charge and things ended well?  I'd really feel better about things if somebody could send me a success story or two.  No lie.  

Drive around PAT.... that's gonna be Beaumont in my lifetime (and I'm in my late 40s now).

[JustUs]

Well most got this wrong. The Bisd board vote 2-5 to leave the current name on the stadium. There's a possibility this matter may be 

placed on the May ballot giving Beaumont residents the opportunity to vote on the decision to change it or leave as is. With that said

the current name will not be changed. jmo... 

[BLUEDOVE3]

5 minutes ago, JustUs said:

Well most got this wrong. The Bisd board vote 2-5 to leave the current name on the stadium. There's a possibility this matter may be 

placed on the May ballot giving Beaumont residents the opportunity to vote on the decision to change it or leave as is. With that said

the current name will not be changed. jmo... 

Not surprised at all about the decision. I'm proud there are board members who are willing to bring this issue to the forefront. 

[BLUEDOVE3]

4 hours ago, LumRaiderFan said:

Seriously?

Oh, I'm sorry, I had forgotten your kids attended BISD during Butch's tenure. The biggest complaint you people had about Butch was the salary he was making. And the rest were upset because Butch was a strong leader for the district and he didn't take no shiggidy from people. He had a history of turning around school districts and knew what he was doing.

[AggiesAreWe]

21 minutes ago, BLUEDOVE3 said:

Not surprised at all about the decision. I'm proud there are board members who are willing to bring this issue to the forefront. 

Why is the name of the stadium an "issue"?

[LumRaiderFan]

26 minutes ago, BLUEDOVE3 said:

Oh, I'm sorry, I had forgotten your kids attended BISD during Butch's tenure. The biggest complaint you people had about Butch was the salary he was making. And the rest were upset because Butch was a strong leader for the district and he didn't take no shiggidy from people. He had a history of turning around school districts and knew what he was doing.

I have never had a complaint about his salary...not my concern.  I was simply questioning if you were really serious that no wrongdoing occurred under his watch.  

[5GallonBucket]

Since we are talking about beaumont isd

check out the section under

“Student Discipline”

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

that is terrible.

I agree with Mrs Allen on many issues and I felt she did a wonderful job as Principal at Marshall M.S. and at Ozen. She ran a very tight ship and had high expectations with students and staff which is needed to make a positive change. And it showed.

i disagree in her removal of all corporal punishment since she became Sup. And if those numbers are right well......

students are suffering more and more. We are failing these kids and their future. The pandemic is just icing on the cake. 

parents have no accountability and that’s where it starts. Virtual learning is a joke due to this.  I see it first hand.... and it is saddening to know the amount of negligence that’s taking place.

I know Mrs Allen has it in her to produce positive change.  I hope it happens.

Mr. Cotton is surely missed. R.I.P.

 

[baddog]

I like the name. I always mispronounce it though. 

[CardinalBacker]

I was way off on this one... Stupid Philip Klein. 

I was glad to see that the issue is at rest for now.  There's talk of putting the issue on the ballot for the next election (which I think is a joke), but I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

 

 

[5GallonBucket]

19 minutes ago, CardinalBacker said:

I was way off on this one... Stupid Philip Klein. 

I was glad to see that the issue is at rest for now.  There's talk of putting the issue on the ballot for the next election (which I think is a joke), but I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

 

 

Yeah cause you know there s nothing better to discuss .....like children s education

[CardinalBacker]

9 minutes ago, 5GallonBucket said:

Yeah cause you know there s nothing better to discuss .....like children s education

Right?  I think the nuttiest part is that the two "yes" votes were from a lady who got booted when the state came on board and the son of a guy who had the same fate.  

 

[5GallonBucket]

9 minutes ago, CardinalBacker said:

Right?  I think the nuttiest part is that the two "yes" votes were from a lady who got booted when the state came on board and the son of a guy who had the same fate.  

 

Very telling

[SmashMouth]

21 hours ago, BLUEDOVE3 said:

It was after he left the district when his former employees were caught stealing money. Under his administration, BISD flourished. 

I’m not aware of what Mr. Thomas did wrong, but according to some in the know, it’s not as flourishing as you may have been led to believe. From the Beaumont Enterprise:

District Attorney Bob Wortham said, ”The 2015 audit of the $389 million BISD bond issue, released in January, took Thomas to task for approving payment for work that was not done, arranging budget changes that allocated more money to projects than approved and hired contractors at his own discretion without following district policies during the construction projects funded by the 2007 bond issue. It also accused him of misleading the public on several high-profile elements related to the bond.”

Now y’all without sin, cast the first stone, but it sounds to me like Mr. Thomas, though he may have been good at superintendenting, might’ve also been good at playing with other people’s money to his advantage. 

[WOSdrummer99]

A coworker made front page headlines about 10 years ago when all this started. He spoke at a BISD board meeting. And called out dr thomas and the board for spending millions of taxpayer dollars on the stadium. While his 10yo daughter was being sent home with copies of the textbook chapters. They didn't even have textbooks for the students. Getz(?) tried to become his best friend and told him they needed people of color to speak out and would love to have him on his side. My coworker just said, and I qoute... 

"I'd rename it Donald j trump before butch thomas"

That should tell you how bad it was at the time.

[87JAG]

BISD hired a company to oversee the administration of the bond which included payouts.  

The thefts occurred after Dr. Thomas retired. The accountant took advantage of the incoming Super and changed the accountability procedure before he officially took over. He then black-mailed the bookkeeper after he caught her stealing. 

[CardinalBacker]

14 hours ago, 87JAG said:

BISD hired a company to oversee the administration of the bond which included payouts.  

The thefts occurred after Dr. Thomas retired. The accountant took advantage of the incoming Super and changed the accountability procedure before he officially took over. He then black-mailed the bookkeeper after he caught her stealing. 

That’s totally false. 

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Calvin Walker was indicted in May of 2011. 
 
This is an article about then-super Dr Thomas from March of 2011.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

 

The garbage continued after Dr Thomas’s departure, but make no mistake... it was going on while he ran the show as well. 

[SmashMouth]

19 hours ago, 87JAG said:

BISD hired a company to oversee the administration of the bond which included payouts.  

The thefts occurred after Dr. Thomas retired. The accountant took advantage of the incoming Super and changed the accountability procedure before he officially took over. He then black-mailed the bookkeeper after he caught her stealing. 

Wrong again mama...

[SmashMouth]

5 hours ago, CardinalBacker said:

 

The garbage continued after Dr Thomas’s departure, but make no mistake... it was going on while he ran the show as well.

Yep. Right on. He was just better at keeping it in the background. 

[CardinalBacker]

21 minutes ago, SmashMouth said:

Yep. Right on. He was just better at keeping it in the background. 

I think when Walker was indicted Dr Thomas knew that the writing was on the wall. He raked up his chips and got outta Dodge. You can say a lot of bad things about Dr Thomas, but he wasn’t a dummy.