Millsap ISD superintendent, 2 teachers arrested after viral video showing autistic boy's alleged abuse

MILLSAP, Texas - The Millsap ISD superintendent and two teachers have been arrested after a video surfaced showing an autistic child being hit and swung at in a classroom.

Court documents obtained by FOX 4 allege there were more incidents and more victims. 

The Parker County Sheriff's Office confirms Superintendent Mari "Edie" Martin was arrested and charged with failure to report or intent to conceal.

Special Education Teacher Jennifer Dale has been charged with official oppression.

Paraprofessional Paxton Bean has been charged with official oppression and injury to a child. 

The arrest warrants reveal that after the two educators were placed under criminal investigation, three of their peers interviewed with Parker County sheriff’s detectives about even more alleged abuse involving two more students.

The backstory:

Video FOX 4 first broadcasted last week shows a Millsap Elementary School educator slapping towards an autistic boy. Moments later, another educator yelled at him before repeatedly hitting him with a toy and then throwing the toy at the 10-year-old.

The incident happened in February. Alex Cornelius is the child in the video.

Millsap ISD says the educators involved are no longer employed by the district. 

What we know:

According to the warrants, teacher Jennifer Dale admitted to swinging at Alex in the video but claimed it was done "playfully." 

One of her fellow educators recorded the video. 

That educator and two others gave investigators sworn statements of ongoing alleged abuse.

Dale is charged with official oppression for "intentionally subject(ing) three known child victims to…mocking, mistreating and tormenting."

Paraprofessional Paxton Bean, who was also seen in the video, is also charged with official oppression and has a felony charge of injury to a disabled child with intention. 

An arrest warrant claims Bean took an unnamed special-needs child into a "calm down room" on Jan. 16. The child returned with a bloody nose. 

Bean told other educators that "the child had run into a wall." But in a forensic interview, the child said Bean punched him. 

Arrest warrants claim Alex’s abuse was common. He was regularly subjected to extensive timeouts and inappropriate comments about his private parts. 

On one occasion, the report says the educators taunted Alex to the point that "he covered his ears and began to rock back and forth, showing his anxiety."

What they're saying:

"I don’t understand why anybody would want to do this to any child — let alone an autistic child or a special-needs child," said Alex’s mother, Carissa Cornelius. "You’ve got to have a really kind heart to be a special education teacher. And as we’ve all seen, some people just don’t have it."

Alex’s family believes had they not shared his story, criminal charges may have never happened. 

"I’m very grateful that the Parker County Sheriff’s Department worked so quickly on it," said Carissa.

What's next:

FOX 4 confirmed Bean and Dale are both under investigation by the Texas Education Agency’s educator investigations unit.

Questions remain about what administrators knew about and for how long.

The superintendent sent FOX 4 a statement last week, saying it’s utilizing an outside investigator — which has led to the Millsap Elementary School principal and assistant principal being placed on administrative leave. 

However, the superintendent has not responded to multiple requests for comment regarding allegations about her actions or lack thereof.

Superintendent's future unclear

The Millsap ISD school board will hold a special meeting Friday at 8:30 a.m. 

The agenda lists a discussion about "deliberate matters related to personnel, including the superintendent, Millsap Elementary school principal and assistant principal." 

There’s also an item labeled, "Consider superintendent separation agreement."

Parker CountyCrime and Public SafetyEducation