School board feud goes guerrilla
By Francisco Vara-Orta - Express-News
Anonymous emailers mounting political attacks on Harlandale Independent School District trustees have resorted to impersonating board members via email to spread scandalous and sensitive information — most recently the superintendent's confidential evaluation to out his critics.
The tactic, known as “email spoofing,” happened recently to two Harlandale trustees: Jesse “Jay” Alaniz and Velma Ybarra, who have exerted more influence on the board in the last few months. Spoofing involves creating an email account in someone else's name and sending information to make that person look bad.
Emails and photos sent to the public and the media that throw dirt on feuding board factions have circulated in the past. But leaking part of Superintendent Robert Jaklich's evaluation last week — protected by state law as confidential — to the media shows escalating animosity.