Stepping down: the right thing

     The Gwen Morrison ordeal finally came to an end Thursday, Jan. 11, with a plea agreement.

     Morrison, a trustee for Tarrant County College, was on trial for double filing expenses as an employee of the Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD).

     As part of the plea agreement, Morrison reimbursed FWISD $1,462 for expenses she had already received from the college. The judge also waived the usual requirement for monthly meetings with a probation officer. This generous plea could also leave Morrison without a criminal record.

     The public should question why this woman deserves such special treatment. She has basically been accused of stealing from a school district. She was in a position where she was at least partly responsible for the education and welfare of children in FWISD.

     She betrayed those children and the public’s trust when she allegedly accepted travel expenses from both the district and TCC.

     Texans appear to accept a certain amount of corruption. Morrison’s reelection to the board during her legal troubles seems to attest to this attitude.

     This is an extremely dangerous attitude, and it only breeds further corruption.

     When a public official who works for our schools steals, that official is taking directly from the children. These children could have their extracurricular activities canceled and the quality of their education trimmed back because of the lost funds.

     This kind of theft is not only unethical, it is just plain evil.

     Defenders of Morrison will say that she was unfairly targeted and that the district attorney was wasting the tax payers’ money on a trial over less than $1,500. However, the $1,500 was just one of several incidents brought to light by prosecutors.

     Where should the line on theft be drawn? Shouldn’t Morrison be held accountable for her actions even if she had stolen a dollar?

     Because she is a public servant, she should be treated harshly. The people put their trust in her; she betrayed that trust and should pay appropriately.

     If Morrison is actually innocent, as she has maintained from the beginning of the four-year legal battle, then why was there enough evidence for an investigation and trial?

     Why did she accept the plea bargain and plead no-contest to tampering with government records?

     Morrison apparently thinks that prosecutors were attempting to discredit her. She needs to realize that they were only doing their jobs, which is what she should have been doing.

     Morrison has finally emerged from this controversy, relatively unscathed. This is her second chance. Her time to set things right.

     She should do the honorable thing and step down from her duties as a public servant. Such an act will prove her integrity.