Brownsville Independent School District Board Trustee Erasmo Castro resigned from his elected position on Friday, posting about his decision on Facebook and submitting his resignation letter to the district’s administration.
On his social media post, Castro said he will be focusing the next couple of weeks in finalizing a DWI charge, a class B misdemeanor, that is pending against him.
Castro was arrested on a charge of driving while intoxicated at 1:37 a.m. Sept. 2 in the 900 block of Morrison Road in Brownsville. He was arraigned and released on $1,500 bond, police records show.
Following his arrest, Castro released a statement on social media: “I accept responsibility for putting myself in a place where my sobriety could be questioned,” Castro said. “It’s an ongoing process so I can’t comment further. We’re going to go through the process.”
Castro was elected to the BISD Board of Trustees in November 2018, and he thanked his supporters Friday.
“Thank you for being patient with me. I pray that in the near future you will once again place your trust in me with the upcoming elections before us,” he wrote Friday. “I still love most of you dearly.”
In the resignation letter, which was hand delivered, according to Castro, he wrote that his resignation would be effective immediately.
“I am opting to deal with [a] personal situation which has unfortunately become a distraction to the amazing things happening at BISD,” he wrote. “I have had to take a step back from serving my spiritual family because of my well publicized personal situation. It’s my hope to restore the balance that is everything to me.”
Castro said he feels proud of everything he accomplished during his time on the board. He said he became a voice for those who because of retaliation labored in fear, exposed corruption and brought awareness as to the wheeling and dealings of self-serving board members.
“I will continue to serve my community as a public citizen until the day, hopefully in the near future, that I ask for your support,” he wrote. “I have been, am now and will continue to be your humble servant.”
The Board of Trustees last year voted to censure Castro and sanctioned him, banning him from attending any school events and functions — except the school board meetings
BISD spokesman Alfonso Gutierrez confirmed that the district received the letter of resignation from Castro Friday.
“The district wishes to express its gratitude to Erasmo Castro for his service to the students and personnel of BISD,” a BISD statement reads.
When asked what’s next for the board and how Castro’s position will be filled, Gutierrez said the board will consider options.
“I don’t know what options the board has and, if they have those options, what are they going to decide to do,” Gutierrez said. “I haven’t heard any of that information.”
