UPDATED October 17.
A bus monitor for the Leander Independent School District is accused of sex crimes against two female special education students.
Steven Wade Lackey, 70, was arrested and charged with two counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact, a second-degree felony.
According to police, Lackey confessed to the crimes, which were captured on bus surveillance video.
The Cedar Park Police Department said Tuesday it had received a report from Leander ISD on October 8 regarding allegations of indecency with a child involving a district transportation employee.
The Special Victims Unit investigated and obtained an arrest warrant.
Cedar Park Police arrested Lackey on October 14 and he was booked into the Williamson County Jail. Bond was set at $250,000 for each charge.
Jail records indicate the offenses occurred in August.
Several parents expressed surprise at Lackey’s arrest, commenting on social media that he is a nice man who worked for the district for years without incident.
But an arrest affidavit obtained by the Austin-American Statesman revealed that Lackey admitted to touching two nonverbal special education students over their clothes and putting his hands down one of the teenage girl’s pants.
According to the affidavit, bus surveillance video showed Lackey rubbing one of the students on her legs and thighs on multiple occasions. Video from August 28 showed Lackey on a different bus rubbing another female student’s inner thigh.
“Lackey stated he knew there were cameras on the bus and a sick pervert thought took hold of him,” the affidavit alleges.
Transportation Services Senior Director Tracie Franco first notified parents whose students rode Lackey’s bus, without identifying him by name, on Friday, October 10.
On Thursday, Oct. 9, Transportation Services and the Leander ISD Police Department reviewed evidence suggesting potential inappropriate conduct by a bus monitor toward students on a district bus. Our initial findings were enough to indicate serious violations of district policy.
The bus monitor was terminated Friday morning. In accordance with our procedures, we referred the matter to the Cedar Park Police Department and Child Protective Services to investigate.
On Tuesday, October 14, Franco sent a follow-up message confirming Lackey’s arrest.
“Leander ISD holds all employees to the highest standards of conduct and accountability. Any failure to meet those standards is treated with urgency, seriousness and care,” wrote Franco.
District officials declined to confirm Lackey’s dates of employment with Leander ISD or which bus routes he worked.
In just the past few years, hundreds of Texas school employees have been accused of sex crimes involving students and other minors. Thousands have been reported to the Texas Education Agency for educator sexual misconduct.
