Complaint Against Carla Sigler

Complaint to SBEC: 

Copy to Robert Scott, Commissioner of Education

      My complaint, dated May 1st, 2008, is against former 2006/2007 Cranfills Gap ISD Superintendent Carla Sue Sigler. Carla Sigler illegally and unethically committed fraud and conspired with others to commit fraud to obtain scholarship funds based on academic achievement by misrepresentation of a student academically ranked fourth in his class.

Sigler committed fraud on May 8th, 2007, at the Cranfills Gap High School Academic Awards Banquet--a public ceremony--by misrepresenting fourth-ranked male student Justin Witte as first-ranked student in his class,  awarding Justin Witte the award for Highest Academic Achievement , and making no mention of the three female students academically ranked above him--namely: First-ranked Valedictorian Kaitlan Head;   Second-ranked Salutatorian:  Sarah Sellers;  and Third-ranked:  Ashley Crye.

To commit this fraud, Carla Sigler conspired with three individuals:  The mother of Justin Witte, namely Kathie Witte, a Cranfills Gap School Board trustee;  the father of Justin Witte, namely David Witte, Mayor of Cranfills Gap; and Justin Witte, graduating senior ranked fourth in his class.

This fraud was committed by Carla Sigler to enable her to recommend that Justin Witte, based on his being awarded the Highest Academic Achievement Award, receive scholarship funds in the amount of $4,250 for his college education.

According to documentation acquired under the Texas Open Records Act, scholarship funds of $4,250 were used in 2007/2008 by Justin Witte at Texas State Technical College for his college education.

This complaint is filed in a timely manner as this fraud had to occur over the course of almost one year before the fraud could be known.

For the 2006/2007 school year, Justin Witte attended Cranfills Gap High School, was in a Work Program and attended school for one class a few hours a day, and was ranked fourth-highest academically in his class on May 8th, 2007, when this fraud occured.

Carla Sigler, Kathie Witte, David Witte, and Justin Witte--by fraud--deprived three students of the honor and recognition they deserved and had worked hard for, and--also by fraud--deprived three students of possible college scholarship funds of $4,250 that should have been awarded to students who had earned and deserved such funds.

Justin Witte was a favorite of Superintendent Sigler who gave him $100 for his birthday. Carla Sigler's best friend is Kathie Witte, a Cranfills Gap School Board Trustee and Justin Witte's mother. In my opinion, Carla Sigler favors male students over female students.

My opinion is based on the fact that when I attended the 2007 Cranfills Gap High School Graduation, I observed Carla Sigler giving male students full-frontal hugs and kissing male students on the neck--like a lover, not like an authority figure at all.

Appalled, I considered these many full-frontal hugs and kisses on the necks of male students as very inappropriate and very unprofessional. In my opinion, these were lewd acts on "captive" students who were children. If Carla Sigler had been a male authority figure giving frontal hugs and kissing female students on the neck, the outcry would be tremendous. Perhaps it was not thought that a sexual predator can be a woman as well as a man.

In 2007, I told TEA employee Dr. Jo Frazier about these inappropriate, unprofessional displays of affection by Carla Sigler to male students under her authority; however, Dr. Frazier told me a parent must complain before TEA could take any action. Sigler's inappropriate actions toward these young male students bothered me so much I considered contacting Child Protective Services.

Documentation that Carla Sigler fraudulently awarded Justin Witte the Highest Academic Achievement Award would be the certificate of such award inscribed with the name of Justin Witte and the photographs of the happy occasion taken at the Awards Banquet by Kathie and David Witte, Justin Witte's parents.

At least thirty witnesses were present at this public Awards Banquet, including all of the Cranfills Gap ISD teachers, as well as students, parents, and interested parties.

Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Sincerely,

Dorothy Powell