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A Houston high school principal facing multiple criminal charges is still calling the shots at his campus, according to the Houston Federation of Teachers.


The teachers union claims Houston Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Terry Grier did an about face in the handling of Robert Gasparello.


Gasparello, principal at Sharpstown High School, was criminally charged last November with three counts of failing to report child abuse. HISD originally reassigned him to district headquarters and sent out a memo to Sharpstown High School staff prohibiting contact.


“As is normal procedure during this sort of reassignment, (Gasparello) has been directed not to visit the campus or communicate with students, parents or staff members,” wrote Michael Cardona, interim chief high school officer in the Dec. 13 memo.


Cardona also set out strict orders to faculty and staff.


“For your protection and to ensure we do not inadvertently interfere or are not perceived to interfere with an investigation, you are also directed not to have contact,” Cardona’s letter stated.


But all of that soon changed.


“He is running the school from a distance,” said Joanna Pasternak of the Houston Federation of Teachers.


“We first started getting complaints from teachers that ‘Mr. Gasparello is e-mailing me, Mr. Gasparello is calling me, I don’t know what to do,’” Pasternak said.


But HISD never disciplined Gasparello for those communications. Instead the district did a turnaround and reassigned him again as a consultant to the school.


“Rob Gasparello, who has been reassigned for almost a year, was asked to consult and assist Sharpstown High School’s administration on issues like academic programming, scheduling and the new building design,” said HISD spokesperson Sheleah Reed in a written statement. “Leveraging nearly two decades of educational experience and his knowledge of the Sharpstown High School community, Mr. Gasparello has been working directly with the school’s administration to ensure that there is no decline in the good student progress seen under his administration. In this consulting role, Mr. Gasparello has had no contact with Sharpstown students.”


“It’s extremely special treatment,” Pasternak said.


She said it’s well known Gasparello and HISD Superintendent Terry Grier are close friends, having worked together in a school district out of state.


“It does not show consistency, it does not show that HISD acts in the best interest of children, they act on the basis of what’s best for my friend,” Pasternak said.


In a recent faculty meeting—recorded by a teacher—the embattled principal joined in via Skype.


“Dr. Grier has made it very clear that I may contact you, you may contact me, and I’m to do anything and everything in moving Sharpstown forward,” Gasparello is heard saying on the recording.


Also during that meeting, Gasparello cracked a joke.


“I’m not going to get any of my mafia friends to do a hit on the D.A., although I’d like to,” according to the recording.


Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson called Gasparello’s comments “in extremely poor taste and inappropriate.”


But his defense attorney, Rusty Hardin, stood up for his client.


“This man has motivated, encouraged and recruited outstanding teachers out there, and he was simply giving a pep rally in anticipation of him coming back,” Hardin said.


But Pasternak said the remark was uncalled for.


“I was shocked. You don’t want somebody who is supposed to be the leader on the campus making light of a serious situation,” she said.


His current legal troubles aside, Gasparello has been heralded as a savior for troubled schools. He was even the focus of a national documentary on turning Sharpstown High School around. He did not return several calls and e-mails seeking comment.


Gasparello’s criminal trial is set for Oct. 17.


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