BANQUETE, Tx — Last month, longtime Banquete ISD baseball coach Russell "Rusty" Miller was placed on administrative leave after an incident in the Banquete Independent School District athletic field house.
As KRIS 6 News first reported in April, allegations were made that Miller had confronted a student following a baseball game on April 9.
Students and parents rallied behind Miller, claiming the allegations were false.
On Thursday, KRIS 6 News obtained a video of the April 9 incident from an anonymous source.
KRIS 6 News contacted the district to verify the authenticity of this video and was provided with a copy in response to a public information request filed earlier this month.
The 45-second video, in which student's faces are blurred, shows Coach Miller escorting two female students out of the field house and closing the door before slamming a table and lunging at one of his baseball players who is sitting at a table along with his teammates.
Miller then holds four fingers up to the player's face, brings his hand down, and appears to scream into the young man while they are face to face.
Miller then points to the door and as the teen gets up, Miller places both of his hands on the teen and stops him from getting up from his chair. He continues to scream at the player before moving back and screaming at the rest of the team. The incident ends with Coach Miller slamming the table twice as the players sit motionless. Miller then knocks over a stool.
On Monday, Robstown Independent School District Board of Trustees hired Miller as its new head baseball coach.
Thursday, KRIS 6 met with district Banquete ISD Superintendent Stacy Johnson to ask about this video.
She said Miller is still under contract with the district and remains on administrative leave. Johnson said he will not be returning to Banquete I.S.D.
She confirmed the video was recorded April 9.
"I feel that the video speaks for itself. It's obviously unprofessional conduct that is a clear violation of our policy and of the educator code of ethics," Johnson said.
Johnson also said that Banquete's school board and the district's attorney saw the original video which is about 35 to 40 minutes long.
"We immediately issued discipline in accordance to local policy. He was placed on administrative leave... He is currently on administrative leave through the end of his contract and will not be returning to Banquete ISD," Johnson said.
"The district will continue to follow policy and ensure that our students have a productive, safe, healthy, and happy environment when they can learn," she added.
KRIS 6 News contacted Miller who said he would not comment on the video under the advisement of his attorney.
KRIS 6 News reached out to Robstown ISD Superintendent Dr. Marc Puig who said the district thoroughly investigated this matter and put it behind them.
"We're enthusiastic about Mr Miller joining our team and indeed, we have looked and studied the video very carefully," Puig said.
"We are aware of, you know, what some questions and concerns parents may have had or may have but in Robstown I.S.D. I want to be really clear. We're a district that's going to extend grace and offer second chances where appropriate," Puig added.
Puig said the district will embrace Miller and make sure that he understands the district's expectation of professionalism and what it means to serve the Children of Robstown I.S.D.
Half an hour after his interview with KRIS 6, Puig released the following statement:
In short, we have thoroughly investigated the matter regarding Coach Rusty Miller, particularly the context of the video, and have now put it behind us. Our Robstown ISD approach is rooted in extending grace and offering a second chance when appropriate. And it’s important to note that our investigation revealed that no report was filed with the Texas Education Agency, as required by law if a student was endangered by an educator, nor with Child Protective Services, and no criminal charges were pressed.
Moving forward, we are absolutely enthusiastic about Coach Miller joining our team. He has an infectious passion for working with kids, brings a wealth of coaching experience, and communicates a championship-caliber approach. Indeed, with grace, we are welcoming Coach Miller to our Cotton Picker Family, and ready to help him begin a new chapter in our storied baseball program.
