Police are investigating two Belton Independent School District employees for alleged misconduct in separate cases reported within a span of two weeks.
On February 28, a South Belton Middle School staff member was placed on administrative leave after the district received a report of alleged misconduct from the Belton Police Department.
Superintendent Malinda Golden issued a statement to SBMS families but did not identify the employee or provide any details about the allegations.
She said the district is cooperating with the police investigation.
“Because this is a personnel matter and an ongoing investigation, we are limited in the specific details we can share at this time,” said Golden.
“I understand that this news is difficult, especially in light of another incident I shared with you earlier this month,” she added.
On February 14, a teacher at Tarver Elementary School was also placed on administrative leave after the district was notified of misconduct allegations reported to the Temple Police Department.
In a statement addressed to Belton ISD, Golden said if the accusations are substantiated, the district will “pursue the maximum consequences allowed by law and district policy.”
Chief of Communications Christine Parks confirmed to Texas Scorecard on Monday that both investigations are still active and no charges have been filed.
“Behavior that compromises student safety will not be tolerated or concealed by Belton ISD,” she said.
In recent years, hundreds of Texas teachers have been accused of sex crimes involving students and other children.
In 2023, Belton High School athletic trainer Trevor Swift was caught looking at porn while on campus, where students could see, and was charged with possessing visual depictions of sexual activity by minors. The images included children who were prepubescent and under the age of 12 years.
Swift was found guilty in July 2024 but his teaching certificate remains valid.
Then-Superintendent Matt Smith, who is now superintendent of Arlington ISD, allowed Swift to quietly resign and never notified parents about his on-campus porn watching or subsequent arrest.
In 2022, Trey Shonkwiler, an assistant choir director at Belton High School, voluntarily surrendered his teaching certificate. According to the Texas Education Agency, he violated the Educators’ Code of Ethics by “soliciting or engaging in sexual conduct or a romantic relationship with a student or minor.”
Belton ISD English teacher Julio Ramirez had his teaching certificate permanently revoked in 2020 for unspecified misconduct.
Also in 2020, South Belton Middle School orchestra director Lydia Christensen had her teaching certificate revoked when she entered federal prison after being convicted of possessing and distributing child pornography showing victims under the age of 12 engaged in sex acts.
In 2018, Belton High School computer science teacher James Alleman III was arrested for having child porn on his school computer after he projected it onto a screen during a class. District officials called it an “inappropriate use of technology.”
A Belton ISD statement telling parents that Alleman had resigned failed to mention he had porn at school and showed it to students.
Parks said the district’s current administration is committed to transparency and “absolutely will communicate” with the public as updates are available.
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