Good morning, 

Here is the Texas Minute for Monday, December 19, 2022.

– Brandon Waltens 

• A disturbing trend is continuing in Texas school districts, with district employees continue to be embroiled in scandals involving inappropriate sexual contact with students. 
   

• According to local news reports, Grand Prairie Independent School District teacher and football coach Kenrick Burns, 28, was arrested Wednesday on a second-degree felony charge of improper relationship between an educator and a student.
   

• The district said Grand Prairie Police notified school officials on December 4 that Burns had been accused of having an “intimate relationship” with an 18-year-old female student.
   

• Burns was placed on paid administrative leave and has since resigned.
   

• Unfortunately, this is far from the only story this year.

A few of the horrendous examples include:

Earlier this month, a former China Spring ISD teacher and girls’ sports coach pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor prostitution charge, after being arrested last year on felony charges for soliciting two females for sex—one a 16-year-old girl. Keneth Lamadrid was given two years’ probation. His SBEC certificate shows he is “under review” by TEA.

NOVEMBER: An Allen ISD Foundation board member resigned after he was caught on a sting video trying to meet a 14-year-old boy for sex.

OCTOBER: A Richardson ISD teacher was arrested and charged with having an “inappropriate relationship” with a minor while he was teaching in Texarkana in 2019. Jason Delezen’s SBEC certificate shows he is “under review” by TEA.

SEPTEMBER: A teachers’ aide in Mesquite ISD was arrested and charged with two counts of sexual assault of a child and one count of indecency with a child, following accusations he engaged in inappropriate relationships with students he had communicated with using cellphone apps. Bryan Garcia’s SBEC certificate is expired.

AUGUST: An Allen ISD teacher was arrested and charged with two counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact, a second-degree felony. The two chargesagainst Anthony Mattei are still pending. His SBEC certificate shows he is “under review” by TEA.

AUGUST: A Tomball ISD teacher who admitted she had a three-year sexual relationship with a student starting when he was 13 years old was sentenced to just 60 days in jail. Marka Bodine voluntarily surrendered her SBEC certificate.

JULY: An elementary school teacher in Irving ISD was arrested for improper relationships with two students. He was  charged in July with continuous sexual abuse of a 7-year-old girl. He was arrested again in August and charged with sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl. Victor Moreno’s SBEC certificate shows he is “under review” by TEA.

JULY: A Garland ISD teacher was let go after another sting video caught him trying to meet a 14-year-old boy for sex. Christian Ayala’s SBEC certificate shows he is “under review” by TEA.

JUNE: A Lovejoy ISD teacher was allowed to resign after he was caught sending sexually suggestive text messages to a 17-year-old male student. Ray Cooper’s SBEC certificate shows he received a “reprimand.” According to TEA, “a reprimand does not affect the validity of an educator’s certificate.”

MAY: A bus driver in Prosper ISD was arrested and charged with sexually abusing two elementary-school girls who rode his bus for almost an entire school year. The driver, Frank Paniagua, died in June from injuries sustained during a jailhouse “suicide attempt.”

MAY: A physical education aide in Frisco ISD was fired and arrested for showing “harmful material” to minors. The “inappropriate images” were found in a boys’ restroom at Newman Elementary where he worked. Ruben Bustillos’ SBEC certificate shows he is “under review” by TEA.

MARCH: A Keller ISD middle school band director was charged with multiple felony counts of indecency with a child for acts spanning several years, following his arrest last year for exposing himself to students in boys’ bathrooms. Jedidiah Maus’ SBEC certificate shows he is “under review” by TEA.

Your Federal & State Lawmakers

The districts and names displayed here should reflect those taking representational effect on January 1, 2023.