Concerned parents and Houstonians alike have signed a petition calling for an administrative change at Milby High School after a student was killed by a train while walking to school.
OUR FIRST REPORT: Milby High School student hit and killed by train while walking to school in southeast Houston
Sergio Rodriguez, a 15-year-old student at Milby, was walking at 2000 Broadway St. near Galveston Rd. at around 7:35 a.m. when he attempted to cross in front of a moving Union Pacific train.
Police say the train was in motion but traveling at a slow speed when Rodriguez was struck and killed. They also said the railroad crossing lights and arms were functioning normally at the time of the accident.
A day after the tragic event, Houston citizens are calling for Milby HS Principal Ruth Pena to be removed.
The petition, which was posted to the online campaign site Change.org, argues that Pena’s response demonstrated a lack of leadership and empathy towards grieving students.
“[Principal Pena’s] failure to acknowledge the grief of students or to offer the support needed in this time of loss is not just a poor judgment call—it is a fundamental misstep in her role as an educator and leader,” the petition reads.
So far, 943 signatures have been signed at the time of this writing and 905 of those signatures were submitted on Tuesday.