Prosper ISD fires law enforcement teacher over past domestic violence arrest
PROSPER, Texas - The Prosper Independent School District is backtracking on a newly hired law enforcement teacher after learning he was previously arrested for domestic violence.
Prosper ISD Teacher Fired
What we know:
Luis Moreno was hired to serve as a law enforcement teacher at Prosper High School.
On Wednesday, the school announced Moreno’s hiring on its social media pages. However, the post was deleted after several comments mentioned his past arrest and criminal charges.
The backstory:
Moreno is a former police officer with the McKinney Police Department.
According to court records, he was arrested in 2022 for assaulting his girlfriend at the time.
A police report states the two were at a restaurant when Moreno physically grabbed her several times and bit her ear. Witnesses told police she screamed, shoved him away, and ran off before Moreno grabbed her arm again.
Collin County court records show Moreno took a plea agreement that reduced the charges down to a Class C misdemeanor.
What they're saying:
Prosper ISD confirmed Moreno was placed on administrative leave and it began the termination process.
"Upon learning this information, the district took immediate action, and this person will not be working in our schools. We are confident in the steps that were taken and will continue to follow all required protocols regarding employee background and conduct," the district said in a statement.
Moreno’s role did not require a teaching certificate, and he did not have any contact with students, the district said.
The other side:
FOX 4 reached out to phone numbers listed for Moreno seeking comment or a statement but did not receive a response.
Dig deeper:
Prosper ISD utilizes federal-level background checks to screen potential job candidates. A spokesperson for the district shared that a Class C misdemeanor would appear on a background check.
The district noted that job candidates are asked on the application form whether or not they have been arrested.
It is currently unknown whether the district followed up on the Class C misdemeanor flag during Moreno's background check.
Additionally, the district spokesperson did not know Moreno's response to the arrest question on his application form.
The Source: The information in this article comes from Prosper ISD, Collin County court records, police reports, and social media posts.