More teachers in Houston caught inappropriate relationships with students, parents react

HOUSTON – A growing number of teachers are being fired or arrested after being accused of inappropriate interactions with their young students. FOX 26 has reported eight different incidents involving teachers from different districts in the Greater Houston area since March 2022. The latest reports in January of this year came from New Caney and Waller Independent School Districts.

Fox Digital recently discovered that in 2022, about 350 educators in the United States were arrested for child sex crimes. Most of the arrests were related to alleged crimes against students.

“As a parent, this is alarming. It’s worrying,” says Amy Juarez. She recently picked up her kids from Waller ISD and responded to the recent arrest of a teacher in the county. “Our children are our most precious gift and it seems to grow every day.”

FOX 26 reached out to several parents in the Waller area for comment, but many declined for fear of retribution in the small community. They were glad that there was a resource that could help officials identify a recent problem.

PROPOSED: Waller ISD employee fired after ‘inappropriate relationship’ with student

CrisisGo is software that provides schools, organizations and workplaces with multiple ways to communicate during an emergency or report a potentially dangerous issue. Developers in St. Louis and California have been inspired to create a safer environment after tragedies like the Sandy Hook and Virginia Tech school shootings.

“The goal was to make the kids feel more secure,” says security chief Jacob Lewis. “Reports can be submitted anonymously to ensure that, especially with students, they feel comfortable submitting their vote when they can reach out and share what they see and hear, and without fear of any repercussions that may arise. with this.”

A student, parent, or employee may access the Waller ISD website and anonymously submit information related to any potential threat associated with anyone in the district. Tips may include photos, videos, and audio.

MORE: New Caney ISD teacher and coach charged with mistreatment of student

“We see this as a valuable part of our enhanced security measures this school year,” says a Waller ISD spokesperson. “We are grateful that we have a place where anyone can report a problem, major or minor, at any time. Our security team reviews the advice and takes appropriate action as soon as possible after receiving it.”

Lewis told FOX that 26 CrisisGo is currently being used in various ways across 10 different independent school districts in the Greater Houston area. County names could not be released to FOX 26 by the company without permission from the counties themselves.

The well-known Houston organization is also doing its best to keep schools safe.

CONNECTED: Houston teacher accused of ‘inappropriate behavior’ with student

The Safe School Institute, part of CrimeStoppers of Houston, teaches students how to have proactive conversations to protect themselves and their peers in a variety of ways. Part of their training includes how to spot inappropriate behavior and learning about the “trust triangle” which includes people they can trust at home, at school and in their community.

“Children spend their entire lives with adults,” says Caitlynn Frey of Safe Schools and Communities Institutes. “They are told to respect authority. They look to these adults to make decisions. With this trusted triangle, we want their parents and guardians to sit down with them and talk to them about what a trusted adult looks like and what happens if a trusted adult violates this boundary.”

Since the start of the free prevention program in 2013, SSI has affected more than 70 K-12 counties. The program reaches 10 to 15,000 students per month in the Houston area. Frey thinks their messages are working.

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“We get emails and calls all the time from counselors and teachers saying they have a student,” says Frey. “Perhaps we were talking to them about cybersecurity and they came out and talked about a situation of bullying or dating teenagers that they witnessed or saw. This is what we want.”

You can learn more about SSI training, its extensive menu of services and webinars here.

Juarez says she’s started having these difficult but necessary conversations with her children. She believes that parents should try to talk to their students and maintain close contact with their teachers.

“Talk to your kids as much as possible,” Juarez says. “Get involved with them in their activities. I know it’s more sophisticated technology at the moment, but we need to have time to talk every day.”