Two employees with the Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District are fighting to keep their jobs after district superintendent Mario Salinas accused them of stealing taxpayer money.

Edinburg CISD Director of Payroll Zelda Martinez and Edinburg CISD Director of Personnel Margarita Oyervides were placed on paid administrative leave in December after the district accused them of paying themselves a combined $57,000 dollars in overtime for work they did to fix the district's payroll issues.

According to the district, both women paid themselves without approval last year. 

Salinas and Edinburg CISD Assistant Superintendent of Finance Rene Salinas testified at a Tuesday employment hearing for both women.

“There is no evidence that indicates that the compensation of overtime paid was approved by their supervisor and/or the board,” Salinas said.

The school district’s legal team emphasized that Edinburg CISD’s policy does not allow for overtime pay to salary employees without approval from a supervisor.

A review of the employee's time sheets found that their supervisor — Salinas — never signed off on the added pay.

An attorney representing the accused employees argued that the pay was not overtime pay, but extra duty pay. 

“There's no indication that she was paid time and a half…” attorney Tony Connors said.

Salinas testified that he never received any requests for overtime, and acknowledged the women did occasionally work more than eight hours a day in fixing the payroll issues.

The hearing will continue on Wednesday when Martinez and Oyervides are expected to testify.

Once the Texas Education Agency hears from both sides, they will make a recommendation on whether to move forward with the termination.