Katy ISD blocks access to abuse investigation report

Five Child Protective Services complaints in the same school classroom...the resignation of a special education teacher previously accused of mistreating disabled children...administrators recorded lying to parents about what they knew and when they knew it...a campus principal defying Texas law by waiting weeks to report suspected abuse to law enforcement...new evidence that three- and four-year olds were strapped into a chair as punishment, roughly handled and verbally berated.

"This is abuse, this is clearly abuse on every level, emotional, verbal and physical abuse," said Ivana Smith, mother a disabled child allegedly mistreated in a preschool class.

While the Katy Independent School District contends no harm was done, what has emerged out of Randolph Elementary School is a tale both disturbing and unfinished.

"If I would do to her what she did to our children, would that be considered illegal or would that be considered an inappropriate teaching technique?," asked Claudia Diaz, mother of a boy who was allegedly mistreated in the class.

It was the Katy ISD police department itself that opened and closed its investigation without interviewing the two adults who witnessed the alleged mistreatment. That said, parents of potential victims still sought official police reports and were staggered when the district said 'no.'

"Turns out my son is not included in the police report which means I am not entitled to a copy of that police report," said Chris Diaz, Claudia's husband.

Turns out Katy ISD police did not identify by name a single disabled child allegedly mistreated at Randolph Elementary.

"That bothers me," said Smith. "That explains why we were not able to get the police report. I repeatedly asked and requested a police report, but was not be able to get one."

The lack of transparency and unanswered questions have left parents of potential victims alleging a destructive conflict of interest between Katy ISD and its police department.

"They should not have done an internal investigation," said Randolph parent Heather Lovell. "They should have done it externally. They should have sent it out for somebody to do the job correctly."

Lovell had two daughters in that special education classroom and believes Katy ISD police failed them both.

Her message to the police department is one of frustration.

"You are just going to do what the school wants you to do or whatever the administration wants you to do," added Lovell. "You are not going to do what's right by the children."

Katy ISD sought and received authority from the Texas Attorney General to block release of its police report to the concerned Randolph parents. The district also claims its protecting privacy after a parallel investigation with Child Protective Services, but parents contend the body is more likely protecting itself.

A CPS spokesperson tells FOX 26 News that the agency did not ask Katy ISD to block release of its police report.