POSTED: Monday, December 13, 2010 - 6:55pm
UPDATED: Monday, December 13, 2010 - 9:09pm
There is another allegation tonight against the El Paso Independent School District.
State Senator Eliot Shapleigh claims an $80,000,000 discrepancy exists in the EPISD and he's demanding answers.
It's been one serious allegation after another against the EPISD.
First, students and former employees accused the district of artificially inflating the results of TAKS tests by refusing to let under-performing students take them.
The U.S. Department of Education is undertaking an audit of the district now to determine if that claim is true.
Then, as we first reported last week, the FBI launched a fraud investigation into the EPISD.
The FBI isn't being specific but Senator Shapleigh says the probe centers around forged attendance records, shredded documents and that $80,000,000 discrepancy we mentioned earlier.
Senator Shapleigh told us, "We need competent federal officials to subpoena documents, interview witnesses and do a real investigation."
He said, "We hope everyone who has witnessed wrongdoing will now tell the truth. They need not fear retaliation anymore."
Late today, EPISD Superintendent Lorenzo Garcia responded to Senator Shapleigh's allegations.
Dr. Garcia said, "For nearly two years, the state senator has been making false allegations about EPISD."
"We're confident that the most recent allegations will also be proven to be untrue."
"Because this is an ongoing audit, it's not appropriate to comment any further."