Grand jury indicts former educators over child abuse allegations at Millsap ISD
The indictments come after a video surfaced online and went viral, showing educators allegedly abusing 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 and a lawsuit filed by three families.
The Parker County District Attorney said the grand jury on Thursday returned Class A misdemeanor indictments for failure to report child abuse by a professional for former Millsap ISD Superintendent Mari "Edie" Martin, Jami Riggs, Jeannie Bottorff, and Shannon Krause.
Riggs, Bottorff, and Krause were paraprofessionals who worked in the Millsap ISD special needs classroom where the abuse allegedly took place.
Defense attorneys Dan Carney and Mark Daniel, who represent Martin, said the former superintendent acted immediately after finding out about the alleged incident.
"While the actions of the two educators depicted on the video are unprofessional and very troubling, this case did not involve any claim of physical injury. It was, however, what Dr. Martin believed to be unprofessional conduct, which she dealt with immediately," a statement from Carney and Daniel reads. "The Grand Jury has correctly ruled that Dr. Edie Martin committed no felony conduct at all. We are obviously disappointed in the decision to charge Dr. Martin with a misdemeanor, alleging to fail to report the matter within 48 hours."
Another Millsap ISD case was presented to the grand jury on Thursday involving paraprofessional Paxton Bean.
This case was not related to the failure to report allegations, though it did come out as a result of publicity on that case. The grand jury indicted Bean for injury to a child.
The February incident captured on video appears to show teacher Jennifer Dale striking 10-year-old Alex Cornelius, a student with autism. In the same footage, Bean is seen throwing an object at Alex and yelling at him.
"That's the only way I can think of it — traumatizing," said Alex's mother, Carissa Cornelius. "I'm having nightmares. He's having nightmares. Just because I can't trust anybody."
In March, Dale was arrested on a charge of official oppression. Bean and Martin were arrested on felony charges. Elementary school principal Roxie Carter, who is Bean's mother, is not facing criminal charges but is named in the lawsuit. According to an email sent to parents, Carter has resigned as principal effective June 30.
Attorney Wesley Gould, who is representing the families in a lawsuit against the district, Bean, Martin, Carter and Dale, said the abuse extended beyond Alex.
"What makes it so unique is that it didn't stop there," Gould said. "This went all the way up the food chain — to the superintendent, to the principal. The board was aware of it, and you have these people in a position to make changes and stop the abuse, but their hearts and minds weren't there."
The lawsuit alleges that other children were subjected to similar treatment, including being locked in unlit closets for extended periods, physically assaulted, and verbally abused.
Parker County District Attorney Jeff Swain said the cases on Martin, Riggs, Bottorff, and Krause were transferred to the County Clerk's Office, where they will be randomly assigned to one of two misdemeanor courts.
"It is important to remember that the educators that are alleged to have engaged in abusive behavior, Paxton Bean and Jennifer Dale, also face misdemeanor official oppression charges," a statement from Swain reads. "Those cases are, at present, being reviewed by the County Attorney's Office. To my knowledge, no charging decision has yet been made on those cases."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Richardson exits 200m at US trials, Coleman through
Sha'Carri Richardson failed to reach the final of the 200m at the US Track and Field Championships in Oregon on Sunday, ending a turbulent week that saw her arrested for domestic violence. Richardson, the reigning 100m champion, finished fourth in her heat in a time of 22.56secs, leaving her just outside the qualifying spots for Sunday's final at Hayward Field in Eugene. The 25-year-old Texan star, who has already qualified for September's Tokyo World Championships as the reigning 100m world champion, did not comment after her race other than to wish reporters a "blessed day." Richardson was arrested and detained last Sunday after allegedly assaulting boyfriend Christian Coleman as the couple passed through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, who won Friday's 100m, was the quickest qualifier for the 200m final, beating Olympic champion Gabby Thomas into second place. Jefferson-Wooden clocked 22.06secs in her heat, with Thomas just behind in 22.19secs. Richardson's partner Coleman, meanwhile, qualified for Sunday's men's 200m final, finishing second in his heat in 20.20secs, just behind world champion Noah Lyles in 19.97secs. Lyles, who is already qualified for Tokyo as the reigning 100m and 200m world champion, made a smooth start and accelerated into a lead off the bend before holding off Coleman and Kyree King. Lyles reached the final with the quickest time of the heats, with two-time Olympic 200m silver medallist Kenny Bednarek second fastest in 19.99secs. rcw/bb
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Suspect in fatal shooting of four in Montana bar could be heading back to town, authorities warn
The manhunt for a military veteran accused of fatally shooting four people at a Montana bar stretched into the third day Sunday, as authorities warned locals to be vigilant as the violent gunman may return to town. Authorities believe the suspect, Army veteran Michael Paul Brown, killed four people Friday morning at The Owl Bar in Anaconda, about 25 miles northwest of Butte. Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen said Sunday that Brown lived next door to the bar and was a regular. Authorities believe he used his own weapon in the shooting. Knudsen warned residents in the town of 9,000 to stay vigilant, as Brown may try to return to the area. He was described as being 'armed and extremely dangerous.' 'This is an unstable individual who walked in and murdered four people in cold blood for no reason whatsoever. So there absolutely is concern for the public,' Knudsen said. Several public events were canceled over the weekend, and parts of a national forest nearby were shuttered as authorities' manhunt for the gunman entered its third day. Barker Lake and the surrounding area inside the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest were on lockdown, as investigators say they are considering all possibilities for Brown's whereabouts. Brown's niece, Clare Boyle, told the Associated Press that her uncle has struggled with mental illness for years – despite her and other relatives repeatedly seeking help on his behalf. 'This isn't just a drunk/high man going wild,' she said. 'It's a sick man who doesn't know who he is sometimes and frequently doesn't know where or when he is either.' Authorities also said Sunday that Brown, who served in the Army as an armor crewman from 2001 to 2005, was 'known' to local law enforcement before the shooting. It's believed he knew at least some of the victims, though authorities have not provided any information about the deceased. Law enforcement shared a photograph of Brown taken on surveillance footage just after the shootings. In the image, he appeared gaunt and wearing minimal clothing. Brown fled the area in a white pick-up truck, but ditched the vehicle sometime after, according to Lee Johnson, administrator of the Montana Division of Criminal Investigations. However, authorities now say he may have stole a different vehicle that held camping gear, shoes and clothing – meaning he may now be clothed. He was last seen Friday afternoon near Stump Town, authorities said. There's a $7,500 reward for any information that leads to Brown's capture. 'This is still Montana. Montanans know how to take care of themselves. But please, if you have any sightings, call 911,' Knudsen said. With reporting by the Associated Press.
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Soulja Boy arrested on suspicion of weapons charge during a traffic stop
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Soulja Boy was arrested early Sunday following a traffic stop on suspicion of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Soulja Boy, 35, whose real name is DeAndre Cortez Way, was a passenger during a traffic stop at 2:35 a.m., police said, and was arrested. Way was booked into jail in the Los Angeles Police Department's Wilshire Division a little after 6 a.m., according to the sheriff department's inmate database. Additional information on what prompted the stop and who else was in the vehicle was not immediately available, police said. A representative for Way did not immediately respond to The Associated Press' request for comment. The Chicago hip-hop artist is best known for his 2007 single 'Crank That (Soulja Boy),' which went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and brought him a Grammy nomination for best rap song. The rapper was recently ordered to pay more $4 million in damages in April after being found liable for sexually assaulting and physically and emotionally abusing a former assistant.
