Good Afternoon Santo Niño Families,
I have been meeting with families this week to hear concerns and answer questions, as I am able, regarding Mr. Apodaca’s employment and the events that led to his resignation.
First let me say I am grateful to the parents who took the time to meet with me in mutually respectful conversation to share concerns and to allow me to clarify misinformation that has been published in The New Mexican and other local media.  I will continue to meet with any parent who would like to speak to me.
I have heard very clearly, over the last days that many parents feel there should have been communication in April regarding an incident that led to Mr. Apodaca being placed on leave and subsequently resigning.  While I very much agree that there should have been some communication, I will reiterate that there are legal constraints on what I may share about employment matters.  In response, I will work with parents, law enforcement and legal counsel to create a communication plan for letting parents know when issues of concern arise that will meet the privacy requirements that we must adhere to.
Another common thread is concern about the hiring process.  All employees are subject to a Federal and State (Local) background check and access of the sex offenders registry.  Mr. Apodaca’s background checks were clear.  In my previous work history with Mr. Apodaca I was unaware of any concerning behavior.   In response to this concern, we will, again working with parents and law enforcement, review our pre-employment screening and seek out additional methods of identifying potential concerns.
Regarding the question of notification to law enforcement, there have been several scenarios posed by the New Mexican.  Let me clearly say that at no time was I ordered not to report this incident.  After I initially contacted the Archdiocese that there was a possible concern, and following identifying the student involved. I made the decision to request that Ms. Klimka from the office of child protection assist me with the report.  When Ms. Klimka arrived, State Police had already been called by the parent of the child.  The officer interviewed our staff member who had knowledge of the events and declined to speak to Mr. Apodaca at that time.   At this point law enforcement assumed the investigation.
Lastly, I have I have heard and share the concern that students may need additional assistance to feel comfortable disclosing inappropriate actions.  You are familiar with Circle of Grace.  We will be working with the Archdiocese Office of Child Protection to add a layer of counseling to the Circle of Grace instruction.  If your student discloses anything that may indicate inappropriate contact whether related to this matter or not.  Please contact me immediately, we have in place resources to assist families.
As always, the health and safety of our angels is foremost in our minds. The care of this community is an awesome responsibility that I take very seriously.  It saddens me that after so much success in facing the challenges of the last year and a half, we have been disrupted by these events.  I hope, with your help, to correct any missteps along the way and to be stronger and better prepared to face challenges in the future.  We know that perfection only exists in heaven, but each day we can be better than the day before if we work together.
Again, if you have questions or concerns please come in to talk to me.  We may not always agree but we definitely can listen to each other, pray with each other and find a path forward.
 

God bless you and your children,
Mrs. Robin Chavez
Principal