A Texas man stood up at a Katy Independent School District board meeting during an open forums session on Monday to address current issues, and surprised the board by announcing his childhood tormenter was none other that the school district’s superintendent.

“I started in 1975 with Mr. Lance, my legal name is Greg Gay,” Greg Barrett said, referring to Superintendent Dr. Lance Hindt, according to ABC. “One day at lunch, I had my head shoved in a urinal, where it busted my lip. I had laid on the ground in the fetal position as the kids kicked me.”

The bullying was so traumatic, according to Barrett, that he once went home and pulled out his father’s gun, intent on killing himself. He claimed he told teachers at the school, but they never helped him, which left him desperate enough to contemplate taking his own life.

Before leaving the podium, Barrett looked directly at Hindt, who sat on the board listening, and spoke to him personally, announcing that the superintendent was responsible for pushing his head in the urinal.

“Because at this point I had nobody, nobody in the school system to help me. Is that the way this is going to be? Lance, you were the one that shoved my head in the urinal.”

As Barrett walked away, Hindt laughed and said the statement was unbelievable. Barrett challenged Hindt to “debate it” but the superintendent simply shook his head as in disbelief.

Hindt later made a public statement denying the allegations and claiming he had no recollection of the incident.

“It was difficult for me to listen to a gentleman Monday night recount a bullying incident he said occurred more than 35 years ago. As superintendent in three school districts in Texas, I have always tried to create an environment where every student is safe — physically and emotionally. But when an individual impugns my character and reputation as the instigator of those actions, I am disappointed because it simply is not true.” 

Yet, Christopher Dolan, who attended West Memorial Junior High School in Katy with Hindt during the 1970s, said that the superintendent was indeed a bully. Dolan recalled specifically witnessing Hindt torment Barrett at school while making fun of his legal last name.

“He was a bully and he let people know that he was in charge,” Dolan said. “Nobody messed with Lance Hindt, not at West Memorial Junior High and not at Taylor High School……I do remember, recall, one incident that happened where Lance Hindt took Greg into a bathroom. He was in the bathroom and put his head, into uh, into a urinal.”

Barrett said he came forward because of the emotional scars that are still with him today. He stated he didn’t want Hindt to lose his job, but was hoping the superintendent would offer at least an apology. He also spoke out in hopes that policies would someday change that would hold teachers accountable when they fail to help bullied students.

“When this happened to me, no teacher were helping…none.”

[Feature Photo: Greg Barrett, Facebook/Dr. Lance Hindt/Katy ISD]