The educators alleged to be involved are no longer employed by the district, and the school’s principal and assistant principal were placed on leave, officials said.
MILLSAP, Texas — Officials are investigating after a Parker County mother alleged her son, who has autism and is nonverbal, experienced “physical, mental and verbal abuse” from two school staff members.
The woman, a parent in Millsap ISD in Parker County, shared the allegations in a post on Facebook Monday. The video she shared in the post appears to show a staff member slapping at a student, though it’s unclear if the staff member made contact with the student before that staff member left the room. Another staff member on the video appeared to throw something at the same student.
“A call for accountability from MISD,” the mother said. “I am the voice for my son … who has autism and is nonverbal. Recently, he endured unimaginable physical, mental and verbal abuse by two teachers at Millsap elementary. This has left me heartbroken, outraged and fearful for his safety in a place that should be his safe space.”
The mother said in the post that the incident happened Feb. 18, but she wasn’t notified about it until Feb. 28.
“When the superintendent did finally call me, all she said is that there was an incident that was being investigated in his class, but she was unable to tell me if my son was involved or even what happened,” her post continued. “I was also informed my son was given a shower without my consent [sic] and the teachers have made inappropriate comments about my son’s genitalia in front of other staff and students.”
In a statement, Millsap ISD said the district is “aware of allegations involving teacher misconduct in a special education classroom at Millsap Elementary School,” and the educators involved “were immediately placed on administrative leave, they never returned to the classroom, and they are no longer employed by the District.”
“The District reported the incident to local law enforcement, Child Protective Services (CPS), and the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC). To ensure a thorough, prompt and unbiased investigation, the District utilized an outside investigator to investigate the allegations,” the statement continued.
The district said the investigation expanded to include campus administration at the recommendation of the outside investigator, and the school’s principal and assistant principal were placed on administrative leave while the investigation is ongoing.
“The District will continue to cooperate with and support the investigations being conducted by local law enforcement, CPS, and SBEC. In addition, we are committed to keeping parents informed while respecting the various investigations and adhering to the legal rights of the educator’s involved,” the district’s statement continued.
The Parker County Sheriff’s Office also confirmed an active investigation into the incident but declined to release further details publicly because the case involves a juvenile.
