Student could have been denied enrollment
By EVA-MARIE AYALA
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER
ARLINGTON -- Arlington school officials could have denied enrollment to a Sam Houston High School student who pleaded guilty to attempted capital murder, according to the district's code of conduct.
Allen Christopher Roman, 18, was involved in the February shooting of a clerk when he and a friend robbed a convenience store. Roman's attorney has said Roman did not shoot the clerk.
District officials have said they wanted to expel Roman but could not because of a state law that limits expulsion to crimes committed on campus or at school-related events.
But the district's code of conduct states that a student can be assigned to an alternative school if the superintendent or his designee has a reasonable belief that the student has engaged in a felony offense or if "continued presence of the student in the regular classroom threatens the safety of other student(s) or teachers or will be detrimental to the educational process."
Roman was assigned to alternative school for the rest of the spring semester but returned to Sam Houston for his senior year this fall.
He is currently doing schoolwork from home.
District spokeswoman Veronica Sopher said she could not talk about the specifics of the case because of student privacy laws.
"In a situation where the district did have an opportunity to send a student to an alternative campus because of a crime committed but he was re-enrolled in a home campus, that would be an oversight on the district's part," Sopher said.
Assignments to alternative campuses vary by case, she said. When students leave, officials review attendance, conduct and other criteria to determine whether students can go back to their home campus.
"If a student has done all the work he was supposed to do, if he completes his assignments, then he is released back to his home school," Sopher said.
Superintendent Mac Bernd could not be reached to comment Thursday.
Roman's attorney, Kathy Lowthorp, said Roman did not attend a hearing but went to Sam Houston on the first day of school to find out whether he could attend. Later that day, officials told him he could.
"Maybe these things were looked at and they decided he was doing fine and it was acceptable for him to come back," she said. Lowthorp said Roman has been working on improving his life, has gone through drug rehabilitation and is not a threat to anyone.
Roman and Eric Salas were arrested in February in connection with the clerk's shooting. Salas, 18, was sentenced to seven years for aggravated robbery during a jury trial this month but his family intends to file an appeal.
Roman pleaded guilty Nov. 11 to his first-degree felony charge and is scheduled to have a sentencing trial by jury next week. Roman also faces two aggravated robbery charges for separate incidents that he is pleading not guilty to, Lowthorp said. He is out on $85,000 bail. Lowthorp said Roman is eligible for probation but could face up to 99 years in prison for the attempted capital murder charge.
Some students at Sam Houston said Thursday that they were concerned that a student facing such charges would be allowed on the campus.
"That's kind of messed up to let someone come here who almost killed someone," senior Valicia Cosby, 18, said. "They worry so much about the little things, like lockouts for tardies, but don't focus on the big things."
But freshman Sara Neal, 14, said it did not bother her much because students have other things to worry about, like fights and incidents that happen on campus.
Sophomore Ray Morris, 16, said, "They should have warned us about it -- not tell us his name but just let us know so we are aware," he said.
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