Educators arrested over allegations of abuse against autistic student
By Amelia Mugavero
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MILLSAP, Texas (KTVT) — Two Millsap Elementary School teachers as well as the Millsap Independent School District superintendent have been arrested, according to the Parker County Sheriff’s Office.
The arrests come after a video surfaced online and went viral, showing the teachers allegedly hitting a 10-year-old autistic boy in February. The accusations led to an investigation by the Texas Education Agency and the Parker County Sheriff’s Office.
“I’m glad to see charges pressed,” the child’s mother Carissa Cornelius said.
Cornelius said she is breathing a sigh of relief knowing arrests had finally been made for the educators she says abused her 10-year-old autistic son, Alex.
“Just to know that they can never do this to another child is a great relief,” she said.
The video showed Alex, who is non-verbal, appearing to be slapped by his special education teacher, who Cornelius said is Jennifer Dale. He then walks over to the paraprofessional, who Cornelius identifies as Paxton Bean. The video shows Bean yelling at Alex and then hitting him with an object and throwing it at him.
“I was informed that the teachers were very verbally abusive before this incident, and it prompted one of the other adults in the room to pull out a camera and start recording,” Cornelius said.
Representative Mike Olcott, who represents District 60, including Millsap, confirmed with Parker County Sheriff Russ Authier that two teachers have been arrested related to the physical and verbal abuse of a total of three special education students and also said Superintendent Mari “Edie” Martin was arrested for “Failure to Report, Intent to Conceal regarding the abuse allegations.”
The now-viral video was taken by a former assistant teacher in the class back on Feb. 18. Cornelius said she didn’t know about the incident until March 10.
“So this should have been reported immediately,” said attorney Wesley Gould, who specializes in criminal neglect with disabled children. He said the superintendent had 48 hours maximum to report the abuse to the Texas Education Agency. “The family should have been notified, and there seems to have been a wholesale miscarriage of justice, and I just feel so terrible for this family and this poor little boy,” Gould adds.
Texas Representative Olcott said in a statement Thursday, “I am especially disturbed that these individuals who were hired specifically to care for students in the special education program would subject such vulnerable children to this type of abuse.”
Bond records show Dale turned herself into the Palo Pinto County Sheriff’s office Thursday on charges of “official oppression” and was released on a $2,500 bond. Bean was also charged with “official oppression” in addition to “Injury to a Child/Elderly/Disabled with Intentional Bodily Injury.”
A school board meeting is scheduled for Friday morning. On that agenda, the board is considering a separation agreement with Superintendent Martin. The district also said the principal and assistant principal are both on administrative leave.
In the meantime, Cornelius said her son is now afraid to go to school.
“He wanted to go. He loved it, absolutely loved it, and they took that from him. I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to send him back because he’s terrified,” Cornelius said. “I just hope that these teachers, or so-called educators, can never do this to another single child ever again, and would like to see cameras statewide in every classroom with special needs.”
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