Police have arrested a special education teacher accused of assaulting a student in the Azle Independent School District.
Sawyer Emmett Stinchfield, 34, was arrested April 20 and charged with assault against an elderly or disabled individual.
Stinchfield was booked into the Tarrant County Jail on April 21 and released the next day on a $3,000 bond.
The alleged assault occurred on April 9, while Stinchfield was teaching at Azle High School.
Azle ISD investigated the allegations and placed Stinchfield on leave, according to a notice sent to district families on April 20.
District officials reported the incident to law enforcement and state agencies as required by law and notified parents of all students in Stinchfield’s classroom.
Stinchfield has since resigned.
Azle ISD trustees had been set to terminate Stinchfield for good cause during an April 20 school board meeting.
Stinchfield was in his first year working for Azle ISD. Online records show he previously worked for Fort Worth ISD and Grand Prairie ISD. He has held a Texas teaching certificate for special education since 2017.
The district is working with Azle police in the ongoing investigation.
“Azle ISD does not tolerate conduct that jeopardizes student safety or dignity and remains committed to providing a safe and supportive learning environment for all students,” the district’s statement concluded.
Last year, Azle High School coach Carlos Font Santiago was arrested twice on charges of having an improper relationship with a student and sexually assaulting a child. The coach and Azle ISD were also sued by the accuser, who was a 16-year-old student athlete at the time of the alleged assaults in 2021 and 2022.
Anyone with information or concerns about the Stinchfield case is asked to contact the Azle Police Department at 817-444-3221.
