The Heart of the Plea

Abel is a child of service. He comes from a family that has sacrificed for this country—his mother serves in the Army, and his father serves in the Navy. He is the grandson of a pastor and the nephew of educators. This is a child who is deeply loved, a child who is missed every single day at the dinner table, and a child who is now being used as a political scapegoat by the Navarro County justice system.

On August 15, 2024, Abel—a young boy with documented autism—had a behavioral crisis at Collins Intermediate School. While the resulting injury to an administrator was a tragedy, it was a medical and educational failure, not a criminal one. Under federal law, a child’s disability must be considered in disciplinary actions. Instead, Navarro County is attempting to "make an example" of him with a harshness usually reserved for adult criminals.

The Blatant Double Standard

Our community is witnessing a terrifying "Justice Gap." While Abel is facing aggressive prosecution and potential years of detention:

• Staff members in our district accused of harming children have been given quiet plea deals.

• Adults in positions of power have seen little to no jail time for their failures.

• A disabled child is being treated with more severity than the professionals who were supposed to protect him.

What We Are Demanding:

1. Immediate Reduction of Charges: Abel’s actions must be recognized as a manifestation of his disability, not "criminal intent."

2. An Independent Investigation: We call on the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and the Department of Justice to investigate the Navarro County DA’s office and Judge James E. Lagomarsino for selective prosecution.

3. Reform of Chapter 37: We demand that Texas lawmakers ensure that special education students are never again criminalized for behavioral crises that the school system failed to de-escalate.

Abel served us through his family’s military service. Now, it is our turn to serve him.