Arlington charter school teacher, student engaged in inappropriate relationship for months, docs show
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 3 arrested in Arlington school child abuse case
A principal and two former teachers at Newman International Academy in Arlington are facing criminal charges following allegations of child grooming, inappropriate relations and evidence tampering.
Authorities have released new details in the child abuse case at Newman International Academy, a charter middle and high school in North Arlington.
Affidavits gave insight into alleged inappropriate relationships between multiple teachers and students at the school. Two teachers have been arrested and charged with misconduct, while the principal was arrested for allegedly tampering with evidence and covering up sexual assault cases.
New Details in Investigation
What we know:
Two witnesses reported a possible sexual relationship between a student and a teacher to campus police on Feb. 6. One of the witnesses was the victim’s cousin.
Following an investigation, Tarrant County officials and Newman International police determined the victim had been involved with teacher’s aide Ruel Barbee.
The victim said she and Barbee began communicating in May 2024, but the interactions did not become inappropriate until September. On picture day, Barbee allegedly told her he would "get her phone number after she graduated," according to the affidavit.
She later assisted Barbee with classroom cleanup and "win" hours—community service hours required for seniors to graduate. The victim said Barbee began "gazing" at her, and they kissed three or four times. She also reported engaging in sexual activity with him on three separate occasions, but not intercourse, between August and December 2024.
According to the affidavit, the victim sent Barbee a video of herself masturbating, to which he responded, "Wow, I can’t wait to taste that."
Despite being told not to see Barbee, the victim was seen interacting with him on Feb. 6—the day of his arrest. The victim is a 12th-grade student.
Arrests and Charges
Dig deeper:
Campus police arrested 52-year-old Ruel Barbee on Feb. 6 at Newman International Academy. He was charged with an improper relationship with a student. Barbee was fired after a week-long review of evidence.
In a separate incident, 22-year-old Gabrielle Little was charged with child grooming. While her exact role at the school is unclear, she was an educator. Little turned herself in Monday and was booked into the Tarrant County Jail. She has since been fired.
Principal's Involvement
Principal Richard Adams was arrested on Feb. 12 and charged with failure to report abuse, three counts of tampering with evidence, and tampering with a witness.
According to his arrest affidavit, Adams allegedly deleted emails containing critical evidence related to sexual abuse allegations. He is also accused of deleting information from a student’s phone and tampering with evidence in a second sexual abuse case, believed to involve Little.
Adams allegedly allowed two individuals onto campus on a Saturday to remove personal items from a suspect’s classroom while the investigation was ongoing. He continued communicating with other teachers during the probe.
Texas law requires felony abuse to be reported within 48 hours. Adams was booked into the Tarrant County Jail and remains held on a $50,000 bond.
Newman International Academy officials said Adams resigned while under investigation.
Investigation Expands
Authorities believe additional victims may be linked to Barbee and Adams.
"We’ve collected tons of phones at this point," said Chief Antkowiak.
The chief said additional victims are not from Newman International Academy, though he did not elaborate on their connection to the former principal.
"We do have credible information about additional victims, and we’re working with them," he said.
Barbee is also a local youth pastor, and police are investigating three churches connected to him.
"I highly anticipate other people will be charged, but they will not be employees of Newman," Antkowiak said.
The investigation involves state and federal agencies, and some cases may extend beyond Texas. None of the three arrested had prior red flags in their background checks before being hired.
Barbee and Little were released from jail after posting $15,000 bonds.
School Response
What they're saying:
Newman International Academy Superintendent Dr. Sheba George condemned the alleged misconduct.
"We will not tolerate abuse or any action that attempts to cover up or hide it," she said. "We will root out any exploitation or abuse of our students. There is absolutely no excuse for educators who do not care about student well-being or who harm them."
Chief Antkowiak said accountability is crucial.
"If you come to this school and target our children or fail to act and intervene, the legal consequences will be there for you," he said.
More on Newman International Academy
Newman International Academy serves about 3,000 students in grades Pre-K-12 across seven campuses. It was established in 2010.
The small private school has its own police force, which is handling the investigation.
The Source: Information in this article comes from affidavits for Barbee and Adams, Tarrant County Jail records, school district officials, and the Newman International Academy Police Department.