CLASS OF 2020
Congratulations on your graduation and our best wishes for your continued success!
2020
Volume 33, Issue 28
www.LHIndependent.com
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June 4, 2020 | 50 Cents
Stephenson steps into leadership role on LHISD Board of Trustees
LH INDEPENDENT FILE PHOTO
The Liberty Hill City Council agreed that former Police Chief Maverick Campbell, pictured here during a special called meeting of the Council in March, will not be reinstated. An independent investigator recently issued findings stating the Council’s decision was justified.
Council stands by Campbell’s termination, silent on the allegations against Mayor Hall
By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor An outside investigator, Bruce Mills, has concluded that the Liberty Hill City Council was justified in terminating former Police Chief Maverick Campbell. “It is my opinion that the City of Liberty Hill followed its policies and procedures in taking the actions that it did to terminate the employment of Maverick Campbell,” Mills said in the report conclusion. In light of the report and its conclusion the City Council did not take any official action on a grievance at its May 26 meeting. Instead, the City issued a statement through Facebook calling the matter closed. “The City engaged an outside investigator to review the City’s internal investigation and Mr. Campbell’s termination. His final conclusion speaks for itself: ‘Although the terms ‘willful misconduct’ and ‘gross negligence’ are not defined in the employment agreement between the City
of Liberty Hill and Maverick Campbell, I believe that the chiefs’ actions, un-disputed, clearly violated those standards and warranted termination by the City of Liberty Hill.”
allegations against Mayor Rick Hall regarding his involvement in the police department and relationship with Campbell. It instead focused on the incident at a conference in New Jersey between Campbell and his spouse that “If Maverick has complaints led to local police inabout the Mayor, whether volvement. that’s relevant to his firing, No arrests were made I don’t know.” and no ~ Tad Cleaves charges were Liberty Hill City Attorney filed in the incident. The investigation had been “We had to look into whether requested through a grievance his complaint that his termifiled with the City in April by nation was invalid or impropAttorney Tiger Hanner on be- er, and what steps were taken half of Campbell. there,” said Liberty Hill City In the grievance, Hanner re- Attorney Tad Cleaves. “Mavquested the City retain an in- erick (Campbell’s) attorney dependent investigator, which requested that we hire an outit did in Mills. But the extent side investigator to handle the of Mills’ investigation did not grievance process, which the consider the nearly five-page City did, and that investigator statement from Campbell in- did his investigation and came cluded in the grievance, which See CAMPBELL, Page 5 spells out an extensive list of
By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor If Clint Stephenson is confident of one thing from his new position at the center of the dais as LHISD Board President, it’s that he can always pick out the smartest person in the room. “We all feel like the smartest person in the room is the room,” he said. “That’s been good because I’ve learned a lot from a lot of great individuals.” That belief that a board room full of elected members and school district administrators can come together to solve any problem and answer any challenge leaves Stephenson humbled to lead. “I get to work with such a great group of selfless individuals,” Stephenson said. “That’s been very rewarding
to me. It’s taken a whole lot more time than I anticipated in the beginning, but I really enjoy it and I love to serve. I’m all in and I feel like that’s the way everybody on the board feels as well. They dedicate themselves to it and everybody has got a lot of good input.” Stephenson has been in Liberty Hill 22 years and has served three years on the LHISD Board of Trustees, and the opportunity to lead is one he felt right about. CLINT STEPHENSON “I’m excited about it,” he LHISD Board President said of his new role. “We decided where we are as a disBeing prepared to lead in his trict right now this would be a good fit for me. Anybody new capacity is something he on the board could step into credits others for. the president’s role. We just “Clay (Cole) has been just dyhave a lot of really high-cal- namite throughout his whole iber, quality people on the board.” See STEPHENSON, Page 5
District focus shifts to fall preparations
By MIKE EDDLEMAN Managing Editor Friday’s graduation event will put an exclamation point on a school year like no other, but district officials in Liberty Hill will not be stopping to catch their breath when it’s over, having instead already started preparations for the unknowns of the 2020-21 school year. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has raised many questions around the future look of education in the state, and districts all over Texas have found themselves working to nail down those questions and develop answers. “Things will change rapidly and we’ll continue to get guidance from the state,” said LHISD Superintendent Steve Snell. “TEA has presented year-round calendars and the districts who have been shar-
ing those and presenting them have been on those calendars for quite some time. TEA has put out an encyclopedia worth of information for us to use to help plan for next year.” In addition to sharing ideas for year-round calendars, ideas such as lunch in classrooms and teachers changing classrooms rather than students have been thrown on the table. For now, Liberty Hill ISD is considering all possibilities, but focused on preparing for the traditional plan for a new year as much as possible. “A year-round calendar would represent a culture shift and to me would require much more planning than a couple of months over the summer,” Snell said. “Where Liberty Hill is going to be focused is how can we keep our students and our faculty safe?
What protocols can we put in place that maximize student safety?” The district has formed a number of task forces that will focus on the variety of challenges and long list of questions dealing with COVID-19 has presented. “How do you provide social distancing on a school bus that’s overcrowded because of fast growth?” Snell said. “How do you provide safety and social distancing at PE, in the cafeteria and on the playground at recess? The TEA has also pushed out things like staggered schedules with half the kids coming one day and half the kids come on another day, but we’re not ready to say that’s our plan. I think our focus will be a lot on hygiene and healthy practices.”
See LHISD, Page 4
A family and home
Hope House has forever mission By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer As one of the seven charities taking part in the 2020 Day of Giving on June 26, Hope House is aiming to use the opportunity to bolster its longtime mission of providing those with severe mental and physical disabilities a place where they can receive high levels of care. “Hope House has been in Liberty Hill for over 50 years serving the community and surrounding areas,” said Hope House Development Director Erland Schulze. “We’re helping those who are severely or mentally disabled.” The charity began in the mid1960s and continued to expand over the decades. “We have four homes for residents,” said Schulze. “All of our senior adults were kids in the mid-60s still living here now. They get home as long as they need us.” Three of Hope House’s locations are in downtown Liberty Hill, and the first home is just ©2020 The Liberty Hill Independent
Editor’s Note: This edition features the beginning of a series of stories on the seven local charitable organizations selected to participate in the Liberty Hill Day of Giving on June 26. Learn more and contribute at www.LHIndependent.com/liberty-hill-day-of-giving.
Hope House serves as a forever home for children and adults with severe disabilities. For over 50 years the organization has been an important part of Liberty Hill and the surrounding area. (Courtesy Photo) six miles out of town and home these special people. We keep to 18 people. Hope House is these beds open for as long as currently home to 35 residents. they need us, and we become For the residents, this is the their family.” only home they’ve known for The service the organization decades because of its status as provides is vital in the area bea forever home, and Schulze cause it’s one of the very few wants the community to know to offer this level of long-term this is the most important rea- services. son to help. “There are no long-term “Many of the children who homes in this area,” said came in during the 60s are still Schulze. “There may be some living at Hope house today,” he outside of town or in another said. “One of the unique things area of Texas, but there are few about Hope House is that it is to no long-term homes in this a long-term forever home for
See HOPE, Page 8
The Panther Pit Crew before a Liberty Hill tailgate. The organization provides food for the community and distributes all funds raised to the various youth organizations of LHISD. (Courtesy Photo)
Pit Crew cooking for charity
By ANTHONY FLORES Staff Writer Joining several other charities in the 2020 Day of Giving, the Panther Pit Crew is hoping to raise enough money during the event to help more LHISD students than ever before.
The Panther Pit Crew raises money through events like its tailgates during football season and during their cook offs. The funds are distributed to help various youth organizations, providing them with funds for their programs to do things like taking club trips or
purchasing needed supplies. “What we’ve done in the past and what we continually strive to do is provide opportunities to the various organizations in Liberty Hill, whether it be cheerleading or the
See PIT CREW, Page 8