HISD teacher recommended for termination after locking special needs students in cabinet
Houston ISD special needs teacher accused of locking students in cabinet
An investigation alleges that an elementary school teacher locked several special needs students in a cabinet. FOX 26's Jonathan Mejia spoke to the mother of one of the students and reached out to HISD for comment.
HOUSTON - A Houston Independent School District (HISD) teacher at Moreno Elementary School has been recommended for termination following parent allegations that the teacher locked several special needs students in a cabinet.
‘I’m advocating for my child'
What they're saying:
The incident involved an autistic first-grader among the students allegedly placed in a cabinet by their special education teacher. The child's mother, Mrs. Mejia, expressed shock and anger upon learning about the situation.
"When I first got the news about it, I was honestly shocked. And I was very angry," said Mrs. Mejia. "I'm advocating for my child, making sure my child is okay, making sure she has a good day."
Parents at Moreno Elementary received a voicemail from Principal Ruben Pineda, stating, "Please be advised that a teacher has been temporarily reassigned pending the outcome of an internal investigation regarding a personal matter."
Mrs. Mejia noted, "I don’t even really know what fully transpired. I just know that she was put in a cabinet which for me is really surface level. They didn’t elaborate."
HISD statement
The other side:
In response to inquiries, HISD provided a statement: "The Houston Independent School District was made aware of an incident on May 22 involving a special education teacher at Moreno Elementary School. The teacher was immediately put on leave, and an investigation was initiated. Following a thorough review by District administrators, the teacher has been recommended for termination."
What we don't know:
HISD says the teacher's name will not be released due to legal matters.
What's next:
Mrs. Mejia is considering pressing charges against the teacher and is seeking legal representation to pursue a lawsuit.
The Source: FOX 26's Jonathan Mejia spoke with a parent of one of the students involved in the incident. HISD sent FOX 26 a statement regarding the investigation involving the special needs teacher.