A teacher in the Frenship Independent School District is facing a charge of soliciting a child for sex.
Nicholas Quenton Alonzo, 29, was arrested and charged with online solicitation of a minor under the age of 14, a second-degree felony punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison.
Alonzo was teaching 5th grade math at Upland Heights Elementary School in Lubbock at the time of his arrest by the U.S. Marshals Service.
It’s unclear whether his alleged target was a Frenship ISD student.
Alonzo was booked into the Lubbock County Jail on March 25. Bond was set at $100,000.
The teacher was reportedly placed on leave before spring break due to “concerning behavior.” During the break, the Lubbock Police Department received new allegations about Alonzo.
A statement from the district indicated that Alonzo had been removed from the Upland Heights campus and will not be returning to Frenship.
“Frenship ISD takes these allegations very seriously, and our staff immediately began cooperating with police,” the statement read. “Allegations such as these are unacceptable and our students’ safety is our top priority.”
“Since this is an active investigation and involves a minor, legally the district is limited in what can be released, and we will continue to cooperate fully with our local investigators,” the statement added.
According to a since-deleted staff biography, Alonzo has a degree in pastoral ministry and is a disabled U.S. Air Force veteran.
Online records show Alonzo previously taught in Galveston ISD.
Alonzo has held a Texas teaching certificate for math and science since 2020 and for English as a second language since 2022. His certifications are currently under review by the Texas Education Agency.
Over the past few years, a growing number of Texas school employees have been accused of sex crimes involving students and other children, and thousands have been reported to the TEA for sexual misconduct.
