06 Oct Edinburg CISD Sued In Bullying Incident

A local family has filed a $3 million civil lawsuit against Edinburg CISD, top district administrators, coaching staff, and a former student, alleging a campaign of severe bullying and hazing culminated in a violent on-field attack that left a high school football player with a shattered collarbone.

Juanita Ramirez filed the lawsuit on behalf of her son, identified in court documents as O.J. III. Speaking alongside attorney Orlando “OJ” Jimenez during a news conference at his Edinburg law office last Thursday, Ramirez said the family was forced to transfer the student out of the district for his senior year following inaction from school leadership.

The suit names former student Orlando Martinez, Edinburg CISD as an entity, former Superintendent Mario Salinas, Athletic Director Oscar Salinas, Edinburg High School Principal Louis Pena, Head Football Coach Joe Pena, and Defensive Coordinator Manuel Garza.

According to court filings, the harassment began on Aug. 13, 2025, when Martinez allegedly trashed the victim’s locker, an incident documented on Snapchat and immediately reported to the coaching staff. The lawsuit claims Martinez retaliated over the report by issuing threats toward O.J. III on Instagram.

Two days later, during an Aug. 15 no-contact football practice, Martinez allegedly charged O.J. III after a play was blown dead, throwing his body into the player. The hit shattered O.J. III’s clavicle, requiring emergency surgery to install a metal plate with seven screws.

“The last time I spoke to the prior superintendent (Mario Salinas) the reason that he told us that there was nothing else to do is because it was just a prank. Prank went wrong,” Ramirez said. “He has a metal plate with seven screws in himself.”

Ramirez added that the ongoing issues forced the family to pull the student from the district. “We had to do this for his safety, move districts,” she said.

Jimenez noted the bone nearly perforated the skin and described the aftermath as a “gruesome, painful sight,” adding that harassment persisted even after the attack, including threats from Martinez’s peers to drown the victim at a house party.

“We filed this lawsuit against all the coaches that were involved,” Jimenez said. “Whatever the police department is doing, whatever the district attorney is doing, that’s on them. This is a civil matter now.”

In an official statement, Edinburg CISD acknowledged the lawsuit while declining to detail specific personnel or student actions.

“Student safety is the District’s highest priority,” the district stated. “Bullying and hazing are prohibited by District policy, and the District takes these allegations seriously. Federal student privacy law prevents the District from sharing information about individual students, and the District does not comment on personnel matters. The District will address any legal claims through the proper legal process.”

The suit seeks $3 million in monetary relief covering medical costs, pain and suffering, mental anguish, and punitive damages.

The lawsuit presents an immediate high-stakes test for newly appointed Superintendent Dr. Angela Dominguez, who assumed leadership of Edinburg CISD on Sept. 1, 2026, following a summer search. While the underlying hazing allegations and the district’s initial response occurred under prior leadership, Dominguez must now navigate the legal fallout, public calls for district accountability, and heightened scrutiny over campus athletic safety as the civil case moves forward in court.