This is a developing story and may be updated.
MARFA — Amid screaming and cursing between Marfa ISD School Board members behind the shut door of a closed session Thursday night, no changes were made on a couple of key issues. One, the teacher — Rebecca Ontiveros, 25, of Marfa — arrested on charges of improper relationship with a student on August 21, didn’t face any change of status from paid administrative leave. Two, School Board President Teresa Nuñez — who faced calls to resign, remains as School Board president.
Ontiveros is Nuñez’s daughter. She was arrested on August 21 and released the following day on a $75,000 bond.
Three hours before the board met for the closed-door sessions not open to the public, News West 9 TV in Odessa, published an online story noting it had obtained a probable cause affidavit for an Ontiveros warrant that included information that Ontiveros admitted to two sexual encounters with a high school student. The Big Bend Sentinel has since received a copy of that arrest probable cause affidavit.
An initial complaint was filed by the student’s grandmother, prompting the Texas Rangers to interview Ontiveros and other parties in the case, the affidavit states. The Big Bend Sentinel had sought affidavits for almost two weeks, only to be told by the Texas Ranger in charge of the case — Malcolm White of Alpine — that he would not comment in any way on an open investigation, even refusing to indicate which judge had issued the arrest warrants.
The Sentinel learned Thursday night that 394th District Judge Monty Kimball had issued the warrant and is responsible under Texas law for having them filed with the Presidio County District Clerk to be made public — something he never did. When asked why the documents weren’t filed with his clerk, Kimball responded, “I don’t know,” and said it was not his responsibility, even though Texas law clearly states that it is.
While citizens were shut out of the board discussions, they did have an opportunity to address the board at the beginning of the meeting. The tone of the public comments section before members went behind closed doors was much more subdued than the clamor that followed later in closed session, with six speakers of the 22 citizens attending the meeting calmly addressing the board, and all but one of them indicating the district needed a change in leadership.
“What I’d like to address today is a perceived lack of accountability leading to a pervasive lack of trust I see between school leadership and the community at large, because there’s a lack of transparency and communication,” Ariele Gentiles, a parent of a student, told the board. “Mistakes are inevitable. Things happen. It’s hard to run a school. And I think a foundation of trust is built on clear communication. And what happens next after mistakes are made? Is there open, honest dialogue? How is it acknowledged? Here’s what happened, here’s how we’re dealing with it. How can we best serve the kids? Or is there a quick line to parents with a nebulous statement? And then under the rug it goes.”
Beth Kerzee told the board she’s considered the claims that nepotism is impacting the district but doesn’t feel it’s the core issue in the debate over leadership. “I don’t believe that hiring people who are related to the school board is a problem in and of itself, but I do believe that there need to be strict guidelines and there needs to be transparency,” she said. “And I do believe that part of the issue is with trust in this community. We had a failed bond election, and we have a recent smudge on the district. We do know that this is getting out to people who are [awarding] grants and they’re asking us this question, ‘What’s going on in Marfa?’”
“Public school governance, first and foremost, should always be about our students and their families,” said Robert Halpern, former publisher of The Big Bend Sentinel. “It saddens me that our district and community is in this predicament and that we are here this evening under these circumstances. So, as a longtime Marfa resident, a parent of three Marfa high school graduates, a property taxpayer and a former Marfa School board member and president, I believe it’s time for a change in board leadership at Marfa.”
“Please remember that every choice you make shapes not only the district, but the kind of community members, parents and friends and children will grow up to be,” said Beck Dugan, a parent of students. “When trust is strong, that influence can inspire pride and respect and unity for the community, but when decisions create doubt, when they appear clouded by favoritism or lack of transparency, the impact [goes] far beyond this room. Our children watch as we treat each other, how we do it, how we lead, and how we handle our difficult situations.”
Ernesto Zubia, a parent of district students, said he did not feel Nuñez should be responsible for the actions of her daughter. “I hear about asking somebody to step down because of a family member,” he said. “I think that’s unfair. It’s unjust. There’s no justice in it, and I think it’s very inhumane. I think that we all should be accountable for what we do.”
Nuñez — with the support of her fellow board members — had appointed her brother, Ernie Villareal, to the School Board in 2021, and then he resigned from his professional post at Valentine ISD after $165,000 in unauthorized transactions were discovered. Villarreal then missed a string of board meetings, and The Sentinel reported in February of 2024 that since June 2023, Villarreal had not attended any board meetings in person, and had only participated remotely via Zoom or by phone for three out of 13 regular and special meetings, according to meeting minutes.
No one took any action on the missed meetings while he was under suspicion by federal authorities for the missing Valentine ISD funds, but Villareal finally resigned from the board in February of 2024 and was indicted for wire fraud and theft and pleaded guilty and received a 27-month prison sentence in March.
Editor’s note: Ariele Gentiles is The Big Bend Sentinel copy editor.
