Scoring AD job caps banner week for Filoteo

EDINBURG - Following a remarkable week of achievement for new Edinburg CISD athletic director Joe Filoteo, not even a looming grievance filed by the school district's former AD can dampen his mood.

Filoteo, who compiled 553 wins over the last 25 years as the Edinburg High boys basketball coach, was named the district's AD at a school board meeting Tuesday, just four days after he was inducted into the Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame.

"I think it was a pretty action-packed week for me to say the least," Filoteo said. "It's been a positive one and I feel very fortunate and very blessed. I just want to make sure that we don't disappoint ourselves or anybody else."

Now that he's in the AD chair, Filoteo, 53, isn't the least bit fazed at the bizarre way he received the job. At the school district's board meeting Edinburg CISD Supervisor of Athletic Fields and Purchasing Mario Lopez was the choice recommended to the board by the interviewing committee, but his recommendation was voted down. Filoteo was the second choice and he was voted in 5-2 as the replacement for Robert Alaniz.

"I'm sure it was a very discussable and debatable position, obviously, but the bottom line is the final decision was made and we've accepted that," Filoteo said. "And, of course, now as the athletic director I'm looking forward to that challenge."

Per the school board's decision, Filoteo is scheduled to officially start his new job July 21. Alaniz, however, filed a grievance one day before the board meeting. According to Alaniz's lawyer Hugo Xavier De Los Santos, his client was wrongfully terminated.

The grievance claims that the school district "has wrongfully retaliated against (Alaniz) politically and personally and wrongfully discharged him and wrongfully violated a 2007 grievance award ..."

De Los Santos said the school district granted Alaniz's 2007 grievance, which stated he was wrongfully reassigned from the AD position to another administrative job within the district. De Los Santos says the impetus for filing Monday's grievance was what he and Alaniz said is the district's claim that Alaniz submitted a resignation letter at the end of this school year.

De Los Santos and Alaniz say no such letter was ever drafted and as such the district retaliated politically and discriminated against Alaniz because of his age by opening the AD position. In their grievance they are seeking his job be returned along with a two-year contract, restitution of attorney fees and the "political harassment" to cease.

"They're essentially trying to railroad Mr. Alaniz into resigning and forcing him into resigning," De Los Santos said. "There was no written resignation letter. It's quite obvious a man of 61 years old being in a protected class, they have to be retaliating against him because of his age. He has an impeccable record with the district. He has no complaints, no reprimands for them to justify the discharge."

Jacques Treviño, the school district's attorney, says Alaniz did in fact tender his resignation at the end of the school year. He refused comment when asked if there was a letter of resignation.

"I will state that the position of the school district is that Mr. Alaniz has resigned his position and I'm not aware of any form of political retaliation against Mr. Alaniz," Treviño said. "As far as discrimination against age, I am not aware of anything pertaining to that. I don't see how age can be any factor in this matter whatsoever."

Whatever the case, (the grievance is expected to be heard sometime next month), Filoteo is now the leader of Edinburg CISD athletics. He has already begun meeting with central office personnel and staff. He takes on his new challenge after leading the Bobcats to a school-record 32 wins and to their third appearance in the Class 5A Sweet 16. With his basketball legacy secure, Filoteo is looking forward to the next step of his athletic career.

"I appreciate the confidence and the trust that the Edinburg school board and administration has put in me in allowing me to have the opportunity to serve as athletic director," Filoteo said. "I will continue to apply the same attitude and the same approach I had in the basketball program and bring that level of success as athletic director."

Todd Mavreles is the deputy sports editor for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4451.