UPDATED January 2 with a statement from the school district.
Cibolo police arrested three San Antonio-area special education teachers on felony charges of physically harming a special-needs student in their care.
The educators worked at Watts Elementary in Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District.
The Cibolo Police Department arrested the women after viewing video of the reported abuse. All three were booked into the Guadalupe County Jail on December 29.
Paraprofessional Julia Cantu, 70, was charged with injury to a child, a first-degree felony punishable by up to 99 years or life in prison. Bond was set at $75,000.
Paraprofessional Veronica Guerra-Ulrich, 47, was charged with unlawful restraint of a child under the age of 17, a state jail felony punishable by up to two years in jail. Bond was set at $25,000.
Teacher Jessica Lee Longo, 42, was also charged with unlawful restraint of a child under the age of 17, with bond set at $25,000.
All three suspects were released the next day after posting bonds.
According to a statement from Cibolo police, the department was notified of the allegations by SCUCISD on December 17 and began investigating.
After conducting interviews with school district administrators and reviewing available camera footage related to the incident, detectives established probable cause to seek arrest warrants for the criminal offenses.
Police stated the investigation remains “active and ongoing” in cooperation with SCUCISD and the Guadalupe County District Attorney’s Office, and additional charges may be considered.
Anyone with information relevant to this case is encouraged to contact the Cibolo Police Department.
“The Cibolo Police Department places the highest priority on the safety and well-being of children in our community,” stated Cibolo Police Chief Thedrick Andres.
Local parents say the children in the arrested teachers’ classroom are all preschoolers with special needs, and some are non-verbal.
District spokeswoman Deanna Jackson provided a statement regarding the arrests.
Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD became aware of the misconduct on December 17 and took immediate action to ensure student safety, including promptly contacting impacted families and reporting the matter to law enforcement; the individuals involved are no longer employed by the district.
In addition, a report has been filed with the Texas Department of Child Protective Services, and an employee misconduct report has been submitted to the Texas Education Agency.
“The conduct under investigation is unacceptable and not aligned with the district’s values, expectations, or the training provided to staff,” Jackson added. “Our students’ safety, dignity, and well-being are non-negotiable and remain our highest priority.”
State records indicate that Cantu and Guerra-Ulrich are certified as educational aides, but Longo does not appear to hold a Texas teaching certificate.
Reports of school employees harming special needs students in their care are on the rise in Texas. Teacher violence against students tops the list of educator misconduct reported to the Texas Education Agency.
Texas is also seeing a rise in reports of students injuring teachers—including former SCUCISD special education teacher Chris Dombkowski.
The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires states to provide a free, appropriate public education for all students with disabilities.
