Gloria Lowe, a DeSoto High School special education aide, is facing felony charges for allegedly assaulting an 18-year-old non-verbal autistic student.
Last week The Dallas Express reported on a recording captured by another special needs student in the classroom. The footage showed Lowe approaching the other student and appearing to hit him with a power cord. Another recording taken by the same student allegedly shows Lowe grabbing the boy by his pants and making him pick papers up off the floor.
A new article by The Dallas Express reported that the aide voluntarily turned herself in on October 20 to the DeSoto police. She was released on a $15,000 bond.
In an interview with NBC 5, the victim’s mother, known as Williams, said that the news was shocking because her son “loved” Lowe.
Williams said she and Desoto ISD were already at odds before this incident over her son. She said she filed a grievance against the government school district because they failed to teach her son sign language. Williams says her son desperately needs such instruction to thrive.
Since the altercation, Williams has pulled her son from the school and is considering legal action against the district.
“Yes, I am going to raise hell,” said Williams. “I want to make sure that accountability is going to happen in DeSoto this time. It’s going to put a lot of school districts on blast. I want them to know this is not acceptable.”
In a statement, DeSoto ISD said that the district does not tolerate misconduct.
DeSoto ISD reiterates that it does not tolerate misconduct, particularly such actions that adversely impact student safety and welfare. The district takes all matters related to the individual and collective safety and security of its school community seriously and notes that this inexcusable act does not reflect the care and compassion of the DeSoto ISD educator workforce.
Texas Education Association records show that Lowe’s teaching certificate is still valid with the state.
The DeSoto case is far from the only allegation of abuse of special education students, or failure to fully educate them, in government schools. In its October investigative series, Texas Scorecard examined multiple civil court complaints and Texas Education Agency hearing decisions on such allegations across the state (parts one and two). Part three of the series outlines how forced disclosure is needed to fix the toxic culture in government schools that allow these abuses.
Lowe is the latest Texas teacher to be charged with crimes against children, and more “bad apples” are being charged almost daily.
