The high school is being built on Evans Road, north of FM 2252 in Northeast Bexar County. The board decided in September to name the school after Mackey, who was Judson’s superintendent for more than seven years before he retired in the spring.

The new school’s name ignited a frenzied response. A petition on the change.org website asking the board to reconsider the school’s name garnered more than 2,500 signatures.

Critics argued that Mackey did not serve a long enough time as superintendent or make much of an impact on the district. Many former employees said Wednesday that Mackey was a bully who cultivated a culture of fear and intimidation in the district. Mackey also remains on the district’s payroll, having retired after an agreement that provides his $218,000 salary through the end of this school year.

Dozens of community members, parents, alumni and current and former employees spoke Wednesday on both sides of the issue during a two-hour public comment period. About 100 people packed the board room for the meeting.

A brief shouting match ensued when former trustee Ken Lucas raised his voice to Salyer and said, “Tonight you have the ability to be a man.”

“I don’t even have a stake in this fight,” Lucas said when the voices died down. “I don’t even know Mr. Mackey. I’m sure he’s a great man. But if you continue down this path you will lose the respect of the people that you’re going to ask for a bond to be passed.”

Many who asked the board to keep the Mackey name were African-American, and some claimed the push to change it was racially motivated.

Former trustee Johnny Harris, who is married to trustee Renee Paschall, named three people who had Judson schools named after them while they were still on the payroll. None were African-American or Hispanic, Harris said.

“If North East didn’t feel the need to change Robert E. Lee, we won’t change Mackey,” he said.

Taja Coleman, the 2010 Wagner High School salutatorian, said she was “a proud African-American woman” but that casting the issue as a racial one was “despicable.”

“If Dr. Mackey had any grace at all, he would withdraw his name and stop all the trouble,” Coleman said. “Changing your mind is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of a true public servant who is willing to represent the people.”

Trustees Arnoldo and Melinda Salinas cast the only votes in September against naming the high school after Mackey. Macias joined them Wednesday after saying he made a mistake three months ago voting for the Mackey name.

“The moment it became divisive, it became a distraction,” Macias said. “Anytime the community has no trust in their leadership we can’t pass anything.”

amalik@express-news.net