The Socorro Independent School District Board of Trustees is holding a special meeting to discuss a member who was arrested on an assault charge, records show.
The board will meet at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 29, to discuss a complaint filed against school board member Ryan Reid Woodcraft, 43, and to receive legal counsel, the meeting agenda states.
The meeting will be held at the SISD’s District Service Center Board Room, 12440 Rojas Drive. The only agenda items involve Woodcraft. The meeting can be viewed on the Socorro ISD Board of Trustees’ YouTube channel.
The issue will be discussed in executive session. The agenda states, “The meeting is to be closed to receive advice from legal counsel regarding the process to review and address a parent complaint regarding R. Woodcraft.”
The agenda also states that the board could hold a public “discussion and possible action to address” a parent’s complaint regarding R. Woodcraft. No information is included on who filed the complaint against Woodcraft.
Woodcraft was arrested on suspicion of assault causing bodily injuries on Saturday, July 25. The alleged assault happened a month earlier at a Father’s Day barbecue on June 21.
He currently serves on the Socorro Independent School District Board of Trustees. He won the seat in a May 2025 election. His term is set to end in 2029.
Woodcraft is accused of choking a 16-year-old boy until the boy was turning “red and purple in the face, drooling and tears coming out of his eyes,” a criminal complaint affidavit states.
The homeowner found Woodcraft allegedly choking the boy. The homeowner kicked Woodcraft two or three times in the head to get him to stop, the affidavit states.
The affidavit does not state what led to the alleged assault. The boy and the homeowner told El Paso Police Department officers that Woodcraft was “acting strange” at the party, the affidavit states.
Woodcraft, through his attorney Brian Kennedy, has denied the allegations.
“Mr. Woodcraft categorically denies the exaggerations and erroneous statements that have been made public,” Kennedy said in a statement. “We look forward to clearing his name in court.”
Socorro ISD spokeswoman Christina Flores-Jones said in a statement that the district is “aware of the situation involving Mr. Woodcraft and will follow the appropriate process in reviewing the matter. The district has no additional information to share at this time.”
Aaron Martinez covers the criminal justice system for the El Paso Times. He may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Socorro ISD holds special meeting over trustee’s teen assault charge
Reporting by Aaron Martinez, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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By Aaron Martinez, El Paso Times | USA TODAY Network
