A Katy, Texas, superintendent accused of bullying a former classmate is in the hot seat again after a local judge backed up the victim’s claims.
FOX reports that Judge David Carpenter, an Alabama judge, attended Taylor High School with Lance Hindt, a Katy superintendent who came under fire last month when a former middle school classmate, Greg Barrett, accused Hindt of bullying him.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Barrett stood up at a Katy ISD board meeting during an open forums session in March to address current school bullying issues. Barrett surprised the board by announcing his childhood tormenter when he was in school was none other that the school district’s superintendent.
“I started in 1975 with Mr. Lance. My legal name is Greg Gay,” Greg Barrett said, referring to Superintendent Dr. Lance Hindt, according to ABC. “One day at lunch, I had my head shoved in a urinal, where it busted my lip. I had laid on the ground in the fetal position as the kids kicked me.”
The bullying was so traumatic, according to Barrett, that he once went home and pulled out his father’s gun, intent on killing himself. He claimed he told teachers at the school, but they never helped him, which left him desperate enough to contemplate taking his own life. Barrett’s speech, caught on camera, quickly started trending online (see video below).
Hindt, who laughed nervously after the confrontation, adamantly denied the accusations and said he didn’t even know Barrett in middle school. Afterward, another former student who attended middle school with Barrett and Hindt, came forward and backed Barrett’s claims.
Carpenter is latest to speak out about Hindt. He indicated that although he managed to avoid becoming one of Hindt’s targets, he did witness the superintendent “viciously” bully others throughout high school and while on the school’s football team.
“He was a vicious bully. He was a thug. He was a wealthy thug, but he was a thug,” Carpenter said. “He was physically threatening some of my teammates, just menacing them, standing over them and eventually started throwing weight plates at them, 25-pound weight plates at them.”
Carpenter also said that Hindt would often “brag” after beating up weaker students.
“He liked to brag about beating up other people and at one point he even bragged about beating up a police officer……I thought he might be in prison somewhere based on the way he behaved in high school.”
The judge learned that Hindt was the superintendent over Katy ISD after watching the video of Barrett confronting Hindt. After Hindt denied the allegations, Carpenter said he felt he needed to open up for the sake of “justice and truth,” according to FOX.
CrimeOnline reached out to Hindt for comment but as of Monday, he hasn’t been readily available to reply. FOX reports that multiple requests sent to Hindt for an interview have been declined.
However, according to Covering Katy News, Hindt sent out a letters to all employees at Katy ISD on Monday, which insinuated that he’s steadfast in denying the allegations.
“It is unfortunate that half-truths, viral videos, edited tape, false statements, and gotcha moments are a part of our modern mainstream news and social media culture. Although I do not believe the attacks on our great school district, our school board or me are over, I remain steadfast in my commitment to Katy ISD.”
[Feature Photo: Judge David Carpenter and Lance Hindt/Facebook, Handout]
