Millsap ISD superintendent resigns following arrest, child abuse investigation
Millsap ISD superintendent resigns after arrest
Millsap ISD trustees unanimously accepted the superintendent's resignation following her arrest in a child abuse investigation.
MILLSAP, Texas - Millsap ISD trustees formally accepted the superintendent's resignation following her arrest in a child abuse investigation.
Two other educators, Jennifer Dale and Paxton Bean, were also arrested and fired after a disturbing video surfaced showing what appears to be abuse of a special needs student. They are no longer employed by the district.
Superintendent resigns
Millsap ISD superintendent's job on the line
School board members at Millsap ISD in Parker County could vote to fire their superintendent at tonight’s meeting over child abuse allegations.
What we know:
Monday's school board meeting started with news that Superintendent Mari Edie Martin had formally submitted her resignation.
The school board unanimously accepted her resignation following public comments at the meeting.
The board voted to hire an outside investigator to examine this case and potential nepotism in hiring, according to the agenda.
Bean is the daughter of Millsap Elementary School Principal Roxie Carter, who is currently on administrative leave but has not been charged with crimes.
Millsap principal is the mother of a charged educator
An investigation surrounding a disturbing video involving educators and a child with autism is underway. FOX 4 discovered that the principal of the Millsap ISD school, where the alleged mistreatment took place, is the mother of one of the educators.
Assistant Principal and Campus Discipline Coordinator, Drew Casey, is also currently on administrative leave but has not been charged with crimes. Many speaking at the meeting believe the assistant principal did nothing wrong as he will be allowed on campus in a limited role during the investigation.
The board also voted to establish a nepotism policy prohibiting employees from being supervised by an immediate family member.
3 Millsap ISD educators arrested
The backstory:
Martin is one of three educators arrested in this case, revolving around a video recorded in a special needs classroom.
Court documents reveal Martin waited more than a week to report the alleged mistreatment of 10-year-old Alex Cornelius, who is autistic and non-verbal.
She also allegedly instructed staff to destroy the video and related text messages and she allegedly lied about making criminal and CPS reports.
Alex's mother obtained a copy of the video, which appears to show a teacher and teacher’s aide mistreating her son.
"My child should have never gone through that. It is unacceptable," Carissa Kozak Cornelius said.
Millsap ISD superintendent, 2 teachers arrested after viral video showing autistic boy's alleged abuse
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.
Millsap Elementary School teacher Jennifer Dale admitted to swinging at the child but claims it was done playfully.
In a separate incident, an arrest warrant claims paraprofessional Paxton Bean took an unnamed child with special needs into a calm-down room in January, and the child returned with a bloody nose.
While Bean told investigators the child ran into a wall, the child said Bean punched him during a forensic interview.
Both Dale and Bean are facing felony charges.
Millsap ISD holds special board meeting after arrests of 3 educators
Millsap ISD is holding a special school board meeting Friday morning after 3 educators, including the superintendent, were arrested this week.
What they're saying:
Parents voiced their concerns and frustration on Monday with how the district had handled the situation after announcing Martin's resignation.
"I just still can’t help but wonder if we would’ve even gotten to this point had it not been for social media and the news media and this video getting out that way," said Rayna Glasser, a speaker at Monday's board meeting.
"There is no way I can trust anybody in this district to be near my child again…" said parent Kensie Davis at the board meeting Monday.
"Personal relationships should never overshadow the professional integrity of the safety of our children," said parent Frances Wampler about Paxton Bean's relationship with the Principal at Millsap Elementary.
"Establishing a nepotism policy is not only a step in fairness, it is a commitment to ethical governance that puts students first," Wampler continued.
The Source: The information in this story comes from Monday's school board meeting, arrest warrant affidavits, Millsap ISD and past news coverage.