Katy superintendent wants to talk with former classmate who accused him of bullying

March 19, 2018 Greg Barrett, a Katy-area businessman, attends a school board meeting at Katy ISD and decides to speak publicly. March 19, 2018 Greg Barrett, a Katy-area businessman, attends a school board meeting at Katy ISD and decides to speak publicly. Photo: A Better Legacy Photo: A Better Legacy Image 1 of / 27 Caption Close Katy superintendent wants to talk with former classmate who accused him of bullying 1 / 27 Back to Gallery

The Katy Independent School District’s embattled superintendent said he would like to have a one-on-one meeting with the man who accused him of being his tormentor decades ago while both were junior high students.

“I just hope at some point we can sit down — and not in a big, public forum,” Katy ISD Superintendent Lance Hindt said Monday.

About 150 people gathered outside Katy ISD headquarters prior to a board of trustees workshop Monday afternoon in a show of support for Hindt, who has denied attacking — or even remembering — his former classmate, Greg Gay, in a boy’s bathroom at West Memorial Junior High School more than 35 years ago. Hindt has stated that when he was “young and dumb (he) did dumb things.”

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Another former student has come forward to back up Gay’s account of the events in the boy’s bathroom.

Hindt said he would like to speak with Gay and “piece together a timeline” of what actually happened that day.

“I was only in the building with this individual for less than four months,” Hindt said. “I was a brand new kid.”

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Gay, a Katy-area businessman, accused Hindt of the bullying incident during a March 19 board of trustees meeting. Hindt became the focus of criticism when video surfaced showing him appearing to smile and laugh at Gay’s accusation. The video and story quickly gained national attention.

Hindt issued a statement the next day, saying the accusation “simply isn’t true.” He also insisted his initial reaction to Barrett’s comments was one of shock, not insensitivity or intentional disrespect.

Debbie Ellis, a first-grade teacher at Katy ISD’s Bryant Elementary, organized Monday’s rally for Hindt.

“We’ve seen our superintendent come under a lot of scrutiny, (and) a lot of false accusations,” Ellis said. “It hurts when people continue to blame you for things that are not true.”

Ellis said officials with the school and district were not involved in organizing the rally, but many in the crowd appeared to be teachers and other district employees.

“We want to build a circle around him so he can see how much people care for him,” she said.

George Espinoza, who works in the Katy ISD communications department, was heading home late Monday afternoon when he saw the crowd forming in support of Hindt.

“I do appreciate the superintendent. We all do,” Espinoza said.

Whatever Hindt might have done as a teenager, Espinoza said he has straightened himself out as an adult and a respected educator.

“Everybody deserves a chance to become better,” he said. “It’s better to have learned early like he did than not at all.”

The crowd broke into applause when Hindt stepped outside the Katy ISD administrative building.

A visibly moved Hindt said he was not surprised when he saw the crowd waiting for him.

“I know this community. I grew up here,” he said.

Hindt said he has received other positive feedback from the community after the allegations of bullying were raised in such a dramatic fashion at an earlier school board meeting.

“I also believe that through controversy comes togetherness. That’s what you’re seeing here today,” he said.

Hindt said he was advised not to comment on a lawsuit more than three decades old that he had seriously injured a man in an assault.

Although some have called for his firing, Hindt remains popular with the Katy ISD board of trustees.

mike.glenn@chron.com

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