Jury: Ex-Houston school board president received kickbacks

HOUSTON (AP) – A civil jury has determined that a former president of the Houston school board received kickbacks from contractors doing business with the school district.

The jury on Wednesday ruled in favor of the Gil Ramirez Group, a construction firm that claimed in a lawsuit that it lost lucrative district contracts because it did not offer bribes to Larry Marshall.

The Houston Chronicle reports (http://bit.ly/2fkafeY ) jurors determined Marshall, his political campaign treasurer and others violated a civil racketeering law.

Damages awarded to the Ramirez Group include $ 3.4 million in punitive costs.

The verdict tarnishes the reputation of a man who served as one of the longest-serving members of the school board and who had worked to integrate the nation’s seventh-largest district.

Marshall’s attorney says Marshall was disappointed with the jury’s decision.

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Information from: Houston Chronicle, http://www.houstonchronicle.com