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Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales is dropping all charges against a parent activist arrested Tuesday at an Edgewood Independent School District board meeting.
Edgewood ISD Police charged Maribel Gardea with three misdemeanors after escorting her out of the meeting Tuesday evening. But, in a statement, the district attorney said the evidence provided by Edgewood police are insufficient to prove any crime.
“After personally reviewing all the evidence submitted by the EISD Police, including the offense report and videos that were made available, as to each individual charge filed, I have determined that there is insufficient evidence to prove any crime beyond a reasonable doubt,” Gonzales said. “Accordingly, I have rejected all charges against Mrs. Gardea. Beyond that decision, I cannot comment further.”
Gardea was speaking during public comments at the time of the arrest. When she continued speaking after she was told her time was up, three officers converged on her.
“Ma'am, you're out of line. Your time's up,” Edgewood Board President James Hernandez said as the officers approached her.
“Bullies,” A member of the audience shouted as Gardea was brought out of the room. The entire exchange took less than two minutes during the board meeting livestream.
According to Bexar County records, Gardea spent the night in custody of the magistrate. Edgewood ISD police charged her with three misdemeanors for resisting arrest, disrupting a meeting, and criminal trespass.
Gardea was at the Edgewood board meeting to deliver a parent petition about school safety and communication — including a complaint about being “silenced at board meetings.”
Hernandez announced at the beginning of public comments that speakers’ time would be limited to two minutes because “we have quite a bit of speakers today.”
“It's terrible that all this community is here to talk to you, and you all decided to cut their time,” Gardea said during her time to speak to the board. “Since October of 2024, I've documented concerns of bullying, safety violations, IEP violations, barriers in communication.”
Before speaking, Gardea confirmed that she could speak in Spanish for two minutes and then speak in English for two minutes. After she finished speaking in Spanish, Hernandez said she only had a minute left. She was in the middle of telling board members she had emailed them the petition when her microphone was cut off and the officers approached.
Gardea is a leader of the parent advocacy group called MindShiftED, which often coordinates speakers during San Antonio school board meetings.
In a statement, Edgewood ISD Superintendent Eduardo Hernandez said Gardea’s “actions were not in alignment with the EISD Board Operating Procedures and Code of Ethics, necessitating their removal.”
The superintendent added that “Edgewood ISD is committed to fostering a respectful and inclusive environment where all voices can be heard. We value community engagement and uphold the importance of civil discourse. To ensure productive dialogue, we ask all participants to adhere to the established procedures and decorum that guide our board meetings.”
