UPDATED August 11 with confirmation of Jamie Palmer’s employment with Rockwall ISD.
One year ago, Rockwall mom Corey Booth shared the shocking story of how her then four-year-old son accused his pre-K teacher of sexually abusing him at school, and how Rockwall Independent School District officials swept the allegations under the rug.
The well-connected teacher was cleared by local investigators, and no one at Rockwall ISD has ever been held accountable for how the sexual abuse case was mishandled. But the story is not over.
With classes starting Tuesday for the new school year, parents have discovered that the accused teacher is back at Rockwall ISD.
Jamie Palmer was listed as an instructional resources specialist at Amanda Rochell Elementary on the school’s website, although Palmer’s name was removed from the staff directory after parents shared the listing via social media on Sunday.
An outside law firm representing Rockwall ISD confirmed to Texas Scorecard on Monday afternoon that the district “has employed Ms. Palmer as an Instructional Resource Specialist, reporting to the Technology Department, which is housed at Rockwall ISD Central Office. Ms. Palmer’s job duties and responsibilities include instructional technology support for teachers and staff.”
According to the Rockwall ISD website, Technology Department staff support all technology in the district.
When the Booths’ story went viral in August 2024, the district placed Palmer on leave from her classroom at Springer Elementary but kept her on the payroll.
The family’s horrific story began in the fall of 2023, when the Booths’ son told his parents that while other kids went to recess, Palmer kept him in class and molested him in the bathroom.
Corey and her husband Tim Booth reported the allegations to local law enforcement on November 1, 2023.
Authorities told the Booths to “keep quiet” while they investigated so as not to jeopardize their case and said they had notified other parents. It turned out investigators had not notified parents or spoken to other students in Palmer’s classroom.
The Booths finally spoke publicly about their son’s sex abuse allegations just before school started on August 12, 2024, after learning Palmer would be back at Springer teaching pre-K.
They wanted to warn unsuspecting families who would soon be dropping off their children at the school.
At a special school board meeting held days later to address the scandal, district officials claimed that multiple “thorough investigations” had “ruled out” the alleged abuse, and Palmer was allowed back in the classroom.
Officials said they found no evidence of misconduct that required a mandatory report to the Texas Education Agency.
Someone outside the school system reported Palmer to the TEA on August 12, 2024, but Palmer’s teaching certificate is currently valid and clear of any disciplinary notices.
Details of the “thorough” investigations never added up to Corey Booth.
A grand jury that no-billed Palmer in March 2024 never saw hallway surveillance video that confirmed Booth’s son and another student were kept in class while other kids went to recess. The footage was automatically erased due to “limited storage capacity,” and none of the investigators saved a copy.
Corey also said her son told investigators Palmer had taken video of him, but the district attorney’s office never tried to get a warrant to access the teacher’s phone.
Investigators also didn’t conducted a physical exam of the boy until three weeks after his outcry.
The mom also discovered that Rockwall County’s Children’s Advocacy Center, which conducted the forensic interview of her son, is overseen by heads of other agencies that investigated the case—including the sheriff, district attorney, and Rockwall ISD Superintendent John Villarreal.
When Rockwall ISD trustees brushed off Corey’s concerns, she shared them with the public.
At a school board meeting the following week, local parents again pressured trustees for more transparency and better safety measures, including more security camera coverage.
The Booths had asked for surveillance cameras to be installed in classrooms where students can’t always speak up for themselves, particularly elementary special education classes.
Rockwall ISD trustees did not include classroom cameras in their failed November 2024 bond, although they did agree to buy more storage capacity for hallway video.
Parent advocate group Texas Education 911 contacted Rockwall ISD trustees in October 2024 with suggestions to improve transparency and accountability. When trustees failed to respond, the group appealed to the public to press for change.
Rockwall parents say change hasn’t happened yet.
Despite trustees’ lack of response and the district’s latest move to return Palmer to an elementary school campus, the Booths emboldened other parents to publicly expose issues within the district.
And by telling her family’s story to Texas legislators, Corey helped change state law so that public school districts and administrators can no longer hide behind governmental immunity when their negligence allows abuse.
Corey Booth recently told Texas Scorecard she has obtained more documents pertaining to her son’s case. While her children no longer attend Rockwall ISD, her family’s fight to protect children is not over.
