Message-ID: <26487581.1075858719549.JavaMail.evans@thyme> Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2001 10:13:46 -0700 (PDT) From: jean.ryall@enron.com To: richard.shapiro@enron.com Subject: Garnet Coleman arrested Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-From: Ryall, Jean X-To: Shapiro, Richard X-cc: X-bcc: X-Folder: \RSHAPIRO (Non-Privileged)\Shapiro, Richard\Deleted Items X-Origin: Shapiro-R X-FileName: RSHAPIRO (Non-Privileged).pst Did you see this? confrontation at kids' school By MIRIAM A. GARCIA Copyright 2001 Houston Chronicle State Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, was arrested Monday and charged with misdemeanor assault after a confrontation with the president of his children's school. Coleman, 39, is accused of assaulting Harsh Kumar, 46, the president of the Montessori School of Downtown & Medical Center at 4510 Caroline, according to Houston Police Department spokeswoman Sylvia Trevino. Police arrested Coleman about 5:30 p.m. after an argument over the recent dismissal of Coleman's son's teacher, police said. Coleman said he and his wife went to the school to discuss the dismissals of three teachers. "He told me to get out of his building and started disrespecting my wife," Coleman said. "I've just never been treated so badly in my life. I overreacted and pushed him back into the couch, and he started yelling at me and I started yelling at him." Coleman, who has been the state representative from District 147 since 1992, said he was tired after returning from a trip to Israel the day before and had been frustrated all day because the air conditioning in his office was out. "I was wrong, but at the same time he disrespected my wife. And I was tired and had jet lag, and, quite honestly, my wife and kids are all I have," Coleman said. Kumar disputed Coleman's version, saying he was pushed twice and hit in the face four times during the argument. "I didn't disrespect him," Kumar said. "I was very shocked when he started yelling at me, and I had to run away from him." Coleman said his wife had asked the administration to warn her of any teaching changes because they wanted their children to keep the teacher they'd had since starting at the school. His 9-year-old son has had the same teacher since he was 2, Coleman said, and his 6-year-old daughter has attended the school for three years. "They go year-round and are there from 7:30 (a.m.) to 6 p.m., 52 weeks a year," Coleman said. "These are the people we trust our kids with." Kumar said the couple also expressed concern because the teachers are black, as is Coleman. "We decided not to renew the contracts for two of them, and the other teacher decided to go on her own," Kumar said. "Coincidentally, the two women that replaced them are black."