BISD cop: Chief wanted Haynes report altered

Suspended Beaumont ISD employee Jessie Haynes on Monday entered County Court 3, charged with obstructing a public passageway, a class B misdemeanor. Haynes blocked a school board trustee and reporter from entering a hallway Aug. 1 in the district's administration building, a surveillance video showed. Photo by Cassie Smith/@smithcassie. Photo taken Monday, May 19, 2014. less Suspended Beaumont ISD employee Jessie Haynes on Monday entered County Court 3, charged with obstructing a public passageway, a class B misdemeanor. Haynes blocked a school board trustee and reporter from ... more Image 1 of / 18 Caption Close BISD cop: Chief wanted Haynes report altered 1 / 18 Back to Gallery

After Beaumont ISD spokeswoman Jessie Haynes filed a formal complaint against district police officer Juan San Miguel last year, Police Chief Clydell Duncan told the corporal to alter a police report and apologize to Haynes, according to testimony by San Miguel on Tuesday afternoon.

Assistant District Attorney Ashley Chase called San Miguel as a witness in Haynes' trial on the misdemeanor charge of obstructing a public passageway.

The prosecutor concluded her portion of the Haynes trial on Tuesday afternoon in Judge Langston Adams' court. Defense attorney Thomas Swanson is expected to call witnesses when the trial resumes at 9 a.m. today in County Court No. 3.

The jury of three black men and three white men will deliberate the case following closing remarks, which are expected this afternoon.

The class B misdemeanor charge of obstructing a public passageway is punishable by up to 180 in jail, a fine up to $2,000 or both.

Haynes, who has entered a plea of not guilty, rejected plea deal prosecutors offered her Monday morning. In exchange for a guilty plea, Haynes could have served one year deferred adjudication and paid a $1,000 fine.

San Miguel filed the police report of the Aug. 1 incident that led to Haynes being charged with the class B misdemeanor.

In an Aug. 1 surveillance video from the BISD administration building, Haynes can be seen standing in front of a set of double doors, blocking school board trustee Mike Neil and reporter Jerry Jordan from entering a hallway.

Melody Chappell, an attorney who represents BISD, was talking to reporters in the hallway at the time.

The jury watched that surveillance video footage Tuesday morning.

After the Aug. 1 altercation, Haynes reported to San Miguel that Neil grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her down, the corporal testified Tuesday. He said she displayed no signs of injury at that time.

San Miguel noticed the surveillance camera in the hallway where the incident occurred and later reviewed the footage, he testified. He said he never saw Neil grab Haynes or push her.

In his testimony on Monday, Neil denied touching Haynes during the altercation.

San Miguel testified he saw Haynes obstruct access to a public hallway, which is why he filed case with the district attorney's office.

Haynes did not pursue the alleged assault charges against Neil, or else she would have filed a false police report, San Miguel testified.

But before he could complete his inquiry into the alleged assault, San Miguel said Duncan ordered him to stop investigating. He testified Haynes had filed a complaint against him for failing to perform his duties as a peace officer.

Duncan asked San Miguel to alter the police report because it included certain statements San Miguel should have left out, but it was "too late," San Miguel testified. Duncan then told him to write Haynes a letter of apology.

Duncan called San Miguel into his office on two separate occasions to tell the corporal to change the response he had penned for Haynes, San Miguel testified. He changed the response three times, but Duncan was not satisfied, he told the jury.

Duncan told San Miguel that his writing in his response that he "could have" left information out of the report was not "strong enough," San Miguel testified. Duncan wanted him to say he "should have" left the information out, San Miguel said.

San Miguel was the last witness testimony to be heard in the second day of the trial. BISD police officer Aqua Delco, who witnessed part of the Aug. 1 altercation, also testified Tuesday.

When asked if she, as a peace officer, would have blocked Neil's access to the administration building hallway like Haynes did, Delco said: "I wouldn't have done it."

That hallway, Delco testified, is open to the general public.

Superintendent Timothy Chargois placed Haynes on paid assault leave Aug. 5. She remained on paid leave for eight months, earning her full salary of $101,600, according to the Texas Tribune's online database of public employees' salaries.

BCrum@BeaumontEnterprise.com

Twitter.com/broocrum