UPDATED September 30 with information from Dumas ISD.
A retired elementary school “Teacher of the Year” was arrested on federal charges of possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material.
Robby Lynn Mason, 56, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count each of receipt and distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor under the age of 12 years old—similar in age to his former students.
Mason taught 3rd grade math and science at Sunset (Dumas South) Elementary in Dumas Independent School District from 2017 until May 2023, when he retired, according to Assistant Superintendent Kelly Legg.
She also confirmed to Texas Scorecard that Mason taught 2nd grade at Dumas ISD’s Hillcrest Elementary from 1994 to 1996.
Legg stated that the district “has no comment regarding the arrest of a former employee.”
Dumas ISD is located in the Texas Panhandle north of Amarillo and has about 4,300 students and 650 staff.
Mason previously taught in Sunray ISD and Canyon ISD.
The indictment reportedly alleged that Mason was actively obtaining and distributing child sexual abuse images and videos, commonly called child pornography, when law enforcement discovered his activities in April 2025.
In May 2022, Dumas ISD named Mason as Elementary Teacher of the Year.
“His students love him and achieve at a very high level because of the relationships formed in his classroom. Mr. Mason is a big part of a very collaborative campus at Sunset Elementary. Dumas ISD is very proud to have him on our staff,” then-Superintendent of Personnel Brett Beesley said of Mason in a social media post.
Mason was named Elementary Teacher of the Month for March 2022.
Then-school principal and now district Executive Director for Administration Canyon Strickland praised Mason as “a phenomenal teacher!”
“Mr. Mason goes above and beyond for his students each and every day by making sure EVERY student in his classroom reaches their fullest potential,” Strickland was quoted in a social media post.
Mr. Mason’s passion for this profession is rarely matched. Not only is Mr. Mason an asset to Sunset Elementary, he is an asset to Dumas ISD. Due to the caliber of teaching that Mr. Mason provides in his classroom, he gets observed frequently by district employees and other school districts. Mr. Mason is always willing to share ideas and materials that have helped make him successful. Mr. Mason wants to help make sure every student in Dumas ISD succeeds.
While authorities have not linked Mason’s alleged crimes to any local student, parent advocate Aileen Blachowski cautions that adults are often part of the grooming process by child predators.
“Adults severely underestimate the manipulation of a groomer. It’s why the best groomers end up being lauded by their employers and co-workers,” Blachowski told Texas Scorecard. “If we don’t recognize the gravity of the situation, then it is indeed state-sponsored child abuse.”
Blachowski added that child victims of adult predators feel most betrayed by other adults who fail to say anything or stop clear boundary-crossing.
Mason was arrested on September 25 and booked into the Randall County Jail, where he is on a federal hold.
State records show Mason received provisional lifetime teaching certifications in 1994. His certificate is currently under review by the Texas Education Agency’s Educator Investigations Division.
Mason is among hundreds of Texas educators accused of sex crimes involving students and other children in just the past few years.
Thousands of educator sexual misconduct complaints have been reported to the TEA since the agency began keeping organized records in 2021.
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