An acclaimed choir director in Denton Independent School District is accused of performing a sex act in front of a child.
Derrick Dewayne Brookins, 54, was arrested and charged with indecency with a child by exposure, a third-degree felony punishable by 2 to 10 years in prison.
According to an arrest report from the Frisco Police Department, Brookins was picked up on May 22 for “purposefully performing a sexual act in front of a child.”
He was booked into the Collin County Jail and released May 23 on a $10,000 bond.
Brookins was a choir director at Braswell High School in Denton ISD at the time of his arrest.
Principal DeCorian Hailey stated in a message to parents that the incident was “unrelated to Braswell High School, Denton ISD, our students, or any school-related activities.”
The message did not identify Brookins.
“The safety and well-being of our students and staff are always our top priorities,” wrote Hailey. “When these allegations were brought to our attention, we acted swiftly and took appropriate action. As a result, this individual will not be employed at Braswell High School for the upcoming school year.”
Hailey said the district is working with law enforcement and will conduct a “thorough investigation.”
Brookins has been teaching music in Texas for more than 20 years to students from elementary school to college and has received several awards.
According to Brookins’ LinkedIn page, he has worked for Denton ISD since July 2022 as Braswell High School’s choral director. He posted late last year that he was looking for a new job.
Brookins lists previous employers as Klein ISD, Trivium Academy, and Plano ISD.
He is also currently the music director for St. James Episcopal Church in Dallas, according to the church’s website. St. James has not yet confirmed if Brookins still holds that position or whether he works with children at the church.
Brookins was twice named a Teacher of the Year while working in Plano ISD, and he received a 2023 Texas Choral Excellence Award from the Texas Choral Directors Association.
State records show Brookins holds a lifetime provisional teaching certificate in music, which is under review by the Texas Education Agency.
Brookins is one of hundreds of Texas educators accused of sex crimes involving students and other children in just the past few years.
Thousands of educator sexual misconduct complaints have been reported to the state since the TEA began keeping organized records in 2021.
