Erased surveillance video may result in charges

[KFDM COOP]

Erased surveillance video may result in charges

By VANESA BRASHIER
Updated: 11.11.09
The Liberty County District Attorney’s Office is expected to decide if charges of Tampering With Evidence charges will be accepted against three Cleveland High School employees — Coach Toby Belt, Coach Quirino Silva and Maxine Zeringue.

The three are accused of erasing a high school campus surveillance video that reportedly showed a a violent fight between two student athletes. One of the boys is said to be a member of the Cleveland Varsity Football Team and the other is part of the JV football squad.

Coach Belt is assigned to Cleveland High School as an assistant football coach and head baseball coach; Silva is an assistant coach in football and track.

According to Cleveland ISD Superintendent Kerry Cowart, Zeringue, who worked as the high school principal’s secretary, used a grand master key to open up the room where the school’s surveillance videos are kept and allowed Belt and Silva into the room. During that time, the video reportedly was erased.

“They said they had no intention of doing that, but it’s missing and they were the only people who were in that room,” said Cowart. “They had no authority to be in there.”

The mother of the JV football player said via a phone interview on Monday, November 9, that her son has been the target of several young black men, whom she claims have made several attempts or threats to cause him harm. The mother’s complaint to the school district after the fight between her son and the other student athlete is what prompted campus police to discover that the video had been deleted.

When asked about reports that the violence was the result of problems between Hispanic and black groups at the campus, the mother said she was not aware of that, but confirmed that her son has one Hispanic parent.

“When she came and said she was going to pursue this, the police went back and looked for the video and couldn’t find it. We did an investigation and found that the three employees were involved,” said Cowart.

Zeringue has since been terminated from her job; Belt and Silva have been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the investigation.

Since the two coaches are on contract with the district, it will be up to the school board to decide if they should be terminated.

The lock on the door leading into the compromised surveillance room has since been changed and the only person with the key is CISD Chief of Police Antonio Ford.

[1KatKiller]

yeah, I think somebody's gonna wind up paying for this. Not a good situation.

[Bucof2010]

Should of youtubed it

[JS]

stupid, stupid, stupid

[OldSkool97]

Wasn't very smart on their part to erase or do away with the footage..Like Diamond-J said STUPID!!

[NorthoftheBorder]

[quote name="OldSkool97" post="771308" timestamp="1267812274"]
Wasn't very smart on their part to erase or do away with the footage..Like Diamond-J said STUPID!!
[/quote]

Appears to be by all accounts of what was written in the article that the coaches were trying to protect someone who they new that the video footage would be damaging to any suit of involving assault charges.  It always seems that athletes are sheilded from paying the price for wrong behavior.  No wonder they continue wrong behavior into adulthood.

[tog]

[quote name="NorthoftheBorder" post="771349" timestamp="1267817353"]
[quote author=OldSkool97 link=topic=66848.msg771308#msg771308 date=1267812274]
Wasn't very smart on their part to erase or do away with the footage..Like Diamond-J said STUPID!!
[/quote]

Appears to be by all accounts of what was written in the article that the coaches were trying to protect someone who they new that the video footage would be damaging to any suit of involving assault charges.  It always seems that athletes are sheilded from paying the price for wrong behavior.  No wonder they continue wrong behavior into adulthood.
[/quote]


not always

there are some that hold them accountable no matter what

[NorthoftheBorder]

[quote name="tog" post="771396" timestamp="1267823429"]
[quote author=NorthoftheBorder link=topic=66848.msg771349#msg771349 date=1267817353]
[quote author=OldSkool97 link=topic=66848.msg771308#msg771308 date=1267812274]
Wasn't very smart on their part to erase or do away with the footage..Like Diamond-J said STUPID!!
[/quote]

Appears to be by all accounts of what was written in the article that the coaches were trying to protect someone who they new that the video footage would be damaging to any suit of involving assault charges.  It always seems that athletes are sheilded from paying the price for wrong behavior.  No wonder they continue wrong behavior into adulthood.
[/quote]

It is well less than half that are are held accountable.


not always

there are some that hold them accountable no matter what
[/quote]

[Bucof2010]

[quote name="NorthoftheBorder" post="771458" timestamp="1267830071"]
[quote author=tog link=topic=66848.msg771396#msg771396 date=1267823429]
[quote author=NorthoftheBorder link=topic=66848.msg771349#msg771349 date=1267817353]
[quote author=OldSkool97 link=topic=66848.msg771308#msg771308 date=1267812274]
Wasn't very smart on their part to erase or do away with the footage..Like Diamond-J said STUPID!!
[/quote]

Appears to be by all accounts of what was written in the article that the coaches were trying to protect someone who they new that the video footage would be damaging to any suit of involving assault charges.  It always seems that athletes are sheilded from paying the price for wrong behavior.  No wonder they continue wrong behavior into adulthood.
[/quote]

It is well less than half that are are held accountable.


not always

there are some that hold them accountable no matter what
[/quote]
[/quote]

gotta love it when people throw out false completely unprovable numbers

[downgoesfrazier]

Toby Belt,  it couldn't have happened to a better guy!