Grand Jury indicts 4 Millsap ISD educators for alleged failure to report child abuse
Parker Co. Grand Jury indicts 4 Millsap ISD educators
A Parker County Grand Jury has indicted four former Millsap ISD educators, including the ex-superintendent, on charges of failing to report alleged abuse in a special needs classroom.
MILLSAP, Texas - The former Millsap ISD Superintendent and three other educators were indicted by a Parker County Grand Jury. The four are accused of failing to report abuse and the case involves an incident in a special needs classroom at the elementary school in February.
The mother of one of the victims doesn’t understand why some of the educators are being charged.
Alleged special needs student abuse
The backstory:
Now-former Millsap ISD educators, Jennifer Dale and Paxton Bean, were seen on video allegedly swatting at a 10-year-old autistic child, Alex Cornelius, and hitting him with a toy.
Paxton Bean is the daughter of Millsap elementary school’s principal. Some within the community alleged that the relationship may have led to a cover-up.
The school board has since passed a nepotism policy.
Both Bean and Dale were charged with official oppression in this case, and then-superintendent Edie Martin was charged with felony failure to report or intent to conceal.
Families sue Millsap ISD over alleged special needs student abuse and cover-up
Families are suing Millsap ISD and former staff members in Parker County over alleged abuse and cover-ups involving special needs students, leading to arrests and calls for systemic change.
A grand jury also indicted Bean on felony injury to a child, in a separate case of alleged abuse against an 8-year-old autistic boy in the same classroom.
That child allegedly suffered a bloody nose from the incident. The initial spotlight on Alex Cornellius’ case led to this investigation.
Grand Jury indictment
Local perspective:
Today, a Parker County grand jury chose to indict Superintendent Martin on a lesser charge, a misdemeanor failure to report child abuse, while also serving the same indictments on three additional educators: Jami Riggs, Jeannie Bottorff and Shannon Krause.
All three educators worked inside the special-needs classroom. One recorded the whistleblower's video given to the child’s mother.
The child’s mother believes these three raised concerns about the abuse to the school officials.
One, Jamie Riggs, even spoke at the school board meeting claiming her plea fell on deaf ears.
Prosecutors, however, say they did not report to the CPS, law enforcement or the TEA, and with that information, a grand jury chose to indict them for misdemeanors.
Victim's mother speaks
What they're saying:
"I do not believe that any of this would’ve come to light had it not been for those three standing up for my son, and I’m very grateful for them and I quite frankly don’t think that they should be charged with any of this," said the victim's mother, Carissa Cornelius.
"I never wanted my child to be involved in any of this, but I’m glad that at least other people came forward and that it’s being brought to light."
Statement from Martin's defense team
What's next:
Martin’s defense team issued a statement today, in part, responding to the allegation that she did not report abuse within 48 hours. Her team said:
"Dr. Martin was awaiting the report of the independent investigator who began work that day of the incident."
The Source: Information in this article was provided from interviews conducted by FOX 4's David Sentendrey and previous FOX 4 reporting.