Millsap ISD Superintendent Edie Martin and two former educators were arrested after a video allegedly showed an autistic child abused in a classroom.
MILLSAP, Texas — The fate of Millsap ISD Superintendent Dr. Edie Martin has now been decided.
During Monday’s school board meeting, the Millsap ISD board president announced that Martin was resigning as the district’s superintendent.
The school board of trustees voted 6-0 to accept her resignation. The board told WFAA that Martin would not receive benefits or severance pay.
It has been a tumultuous month for Martin after she and two former staff members were arrested after a video surfaced showing educators allegedly abusing an autistic child in a classroom. Martin is facing a felony charge of failure to report/intent to conceal.
Several parents rallied at Millsap High School just an hour before the school board was set to discuss a separation with Superintendent Martin.
Jennifer Dale, 44, and Paxton Kendal Bean, 25, were also arrested last week on charges in connection with the alleged abuse. Bean is charged with injury to a child/elderly/disabled and official oppression, and Dale is charged with official oppression, according to jail records.
Their arrests came after Millsap ISD parent Carissa Cornelius shared a video on March 10 showing her 10-year-old Alex Cornelius, who is autistic and non-verbal, appearing to be abused by his special education teacher. Another teacher in the video appears to yell at him and throw an object at him.
Cornelius said the incident happened on Feb. 18, but school officials didn’t notify her about it until Feb. 28.
According to the Parker County Sheriff’s Office, one witness told investigators she reported the alleged abuse to Martin on Feb. 19. Martin reportedly contacted the district’s law firm to commission an external investigation but didn’t report the suspected abuse to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) or the Parker County Sheriff’s Office, which state law requires.
Further investigation showed Martin filed a report regarding one educator with the Texas Education Agency (TEA) on Feb. 28, officials said, then a report regarding the second educator to the TEA on March 3.
Another witness said they told Martin to report the offenses to Child Protective Services (CPS) and law enforcement, officials said. Martin reportedly told the witness she had already made a report to CPS as of Feb. 20.
Parker County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) said DFPS told investigators they weren’t contacted by Martin but were first notified by PCSO on March 4.
The board has also approved Monday a third-party investigation into Principal Roxie Carter and Assistant Principal Drew Casey of the elementary school where the alleged abuse occurred.
Carter is related to Kendal Bean, one of the educators arrested in the case. Due to their relationship, the school board voted in favor of not assigning employees to the same campus or in an oversight position of an immediate family member.
Casey will return to work at a limited capacity while the investigation is ongoing, according to Millsap ISD. The district said this was due to “multiple requests by the public who said he had nothing to do with one of the suspects or the alleged abuse.”
This is a developing story. More details will be added as they become available.
