Former student who started viral petition to get Katy ISD's superintendent fired speaks out

One week and more than 2,000 digital signatures later, the man behind the viral petition calling for the firing of Katy ISD's beleaguered superintendent has spoke out about why he started it.

The petition was spearheaded by 19-year-old Nitant Patel who graduated from Katy ISD's Obra D. Tompkins High School in 2017. It calls for Katy ISD to fire superintendent Lance Hindt over how he has addressed allegations that he allegedly bullied former classmate Greg Barrett, a Katy-area businessman, more than 30 years ago. The petition also references a now-dismissed 1983 lawsuit claiming an 18-year-old Hindt severely beat another man.

"He fractured defendant William Stein's skull, broke 3 ribs, and dislocated his shoulder; consequently, leaving him in a coma for 5 days and requiring two brain surgeries," the Change.org petition stated about the lawsuit from 1983.

On March 19, Barrett made claims during a Katy ISD school board meeting that Hindt had beat him up in the restroom at school. A video of Barrett's accusations captured national attention. Hindt has since issued a statement saying he didn't remember Barrett and that the claim of bullying "simply isn't true."

READ MORE: More than 1,300 have signed online petition to fire Katy ISD superintendent

Hindt's statement wasn't enough for Patel.

"I started the petition to hold our public officials (i.e. Dr. Hindt and the KatyISD board of trustees) accountable for their actions in the past," Patel told Chron.com Thursday afternoon through Twitter. "Bullying is still a major issue and kids are scared to even report bullying. This situation makes it even harder for kids to report bullying since Dr. Hindt hasn't even apologized or shown empathy to the victims."

Photo: Atula Patel Nitant Patel, 19, is the man behind the viral Change.org petition...

Patel, who is currently a finance major at the University of Texas at Austin, was particularly bothered by the support the Katy ISD school board has shown to Hindt. The board claims it fully vetted Hindt before hiring him two years ago and that his "strong leadership and fulfillment of our vision since then has affirmed our decision."

Photo: Stratford Booster Club Lance Hindt

Patel believes that the board's decision rejects and regresses "the Me Too and Times Up movement by supporting Dr. Hindt and not calling for his resignation or termination."

"I did not experience bullying but I have many friends that have experienced bullying in school," Patel said. "I'd like to add that it's important for people to get engaged in their communities starting at the local level, because we can see the impact they have through the decisions local officials make."

Fernando Alfonso III is a digital reporter at Chron.com. Follow him on Twitter at @fernalfonso.