Two Waco Independent School District teachers were arrested in April for abusing special needs students.
One now-former teacher faces up to ten years in prison for allegedly using an electronic “dog whistle” on her 6-year-old autistic student.
According to case documents, Amber Escamilla was arrested and charged on Tuesday with injury to a child or disabled person.
Escamilla worked at Bell Hill Elementary School for under a year. The affidavit alleges Escamilla entered a break room and placed the whistle on the table, saying she had it for when the child “gets loud.” When she clicked it, he stopped.
The boy’s parents told detectives they provided earmuffs for their son to wear at school because he is sensitive to sounds, and fire alarms would hurt his ears.
Escamilla told detectives that she bought the whistle for outside playground use and only used it once. She also admitted that she exhibited it as a threat to gain compliance.
A witness stated otherwise. In September 2024, she claimed to see Escamilla use the whistle twice in her classroom as the child covered his ears and pleaded for her to stop.
The school principal told detectives she confiscated the whistle in November 2024.
“Waco ISD is aware of concerns involving a former teacher. While the situation is being reviewed by appropriate authorities, we want to emphasize that the individual was employed by the district less than a year, is no longer working in the district and has been reported to the state,” district spokesperson Elizabeth Cox wrote Texas Scorecard.
“The actions under investigation do not reflect the values or expectations we hold for our staff. Waco ISD remains committed to fostering a safe and supportive environment for all students.”
Yet, police arrested another district teacher for assaulting a special needs child in April.
On April 7, authorities arrested Randi Lynne Fowler, a former special education teacher at Dean Highland Elementary, on three counts of injury to a child, including body-slamming and slapping a 7-year-old special needs student in her classroom’s “safe area.”
Safe areas are designated places for special needs children to calm down. Children must be able to leave the area if they choose. Safe areas often include comfortable furnishings and cannot be enclosed.
“Waco ISD contacted Child Protective Services on March 31 in response to a staff report received that day involving a teacher at Dean Highland Elementary allegedly striking a student in a special education classroom,” Cox wrote Texas Scorecard. “We can confirm that the teacher is no longer employed by Waco ISD and the district has notified the State Board for Educator Certification.”
That day, investigators learned about three previous incidents, according to case documents.
A video dated January 8, 2025, shows Fowler seated in a chair with her back to the camera in front of a 7-year-old boy, trapping him in a room corner designated as a “safe space.”
One can hear the child scream and cry before “a slapping sound can be heard.”
“Don’t hit me,” a voice says.
Fowler then made the child stand, spun him to face away from her, and wrapped her arm around his upper body.
A witness said Fowler’s hand covered the child’s mouth as he screamed and cried while mucus poured from his nostrils.
Two days later, another video shows Fowler carrying the boy with her arm around his neck, lifting him into the air, walking to the “safe space,” and throwing him onto a pile of pillows.
Witnesses told detectives that earlier on December 18, 2024, Fowler did the same, only this time she “body-slammed” him in the “safe space.” When he kicked her in response, she kicked his leg. He reportedly cried until he fell asleep. When he woke up, he told a witness that Fowler had “broken his leg.” After the witness took the child to the school nurse, the child said, “She kicked me.”
Asked if the district had notified authorities about these three prior incidents in December and January, Cox declined to answer.
“This situation is deeply troubling and does not reflect the values that define our special education programs or our district as a whole,” Cox wrote to Texas Scorecard. “As we continue our internal investigation, we are reviewing all safety protocols, training, and oversight practices to strengthen safeguards for every student. Waco ISD remains steadfast in our commitment to every student’s safety and success.”
The State Board of Educator Certification’s website shows Escamilla and Fowler remain “under review” by the Texas Education Agency’s Educator Investigations Division.
Both Fowler and Escamilla have bonded out of jail.
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