SFPS mulling HR director’s return
The Santa Fe school district’s recently hired human resources director, who missed work this week after his arrest early Thursday on criminal charges, told The New Mexican on Friday that “I’m officially back at work” but said he was taking a day of leave to find an attorney after spending the previous day in jail.
Although Stephen Fresquez said he will be working “full force” at his $97,500-a-year job while criminal proceedings move forward, Superintendent Veronica García said Friday the school district had not yet informed him whether he will be able to return to work full time. She said she plans to have a meeting with him Monday.
“That’s all I really would want to say at this point,” said García, who on Thursday said she had turned over Fresquez’s duties to the former human resources director while the administration gathers more information and evaluates the situation. She said the school district is in the process of trying to fill 22 job vacancies.
Fresquez, 50, was released from the Santa Fe County jail Thursday evening with an electronic monitoring device after he appeared before a magistrate on a felony charge of breaking and entering and two petty misdemeanors of assault and battery in connection with an incident at the home of his estranged wife.
Fresquez’s wife, who told police they are going through a separation, told an officer that she was asleep with her boyfriend when Fresquez at about 1 a.m. Thursday pushed a window-mounted air conditioner onto her bed and yelled expletives and said, “I knew it.”
The boyfriend, who gave a similar account, also told police that Fresquez reached through the window and punched him on the body several times but was not able to do so with enough force to injure him, according to a criminal complaint.
Fresquez said Friday he had gone to the home to check on his wife because he was concerned about her safety. He said he knocked on her door and received no answer, so he decided to knock on the window. He denied punching or attempting to harm anyone.
He said the air conditioner was positioned like a “teeter totter” on the window frame and fell onto the bed because his elbow accidentally hit the unit, which a police officer estimated weighed 40 pounds. Fresquez said he tried to catch the air conditioner to prevent it from falling.
Fresquez emphasized that he had no criminal history or history of violence, and said he did not attempt to harm the man his wife told police was her boyfriend.
“I didn’t even see the gentleman,” Fresquez said.