A Waco Independent School District teacher was jailed after allegedly trying to “entice” an underage female student to meet him using an online messaging app.
Rathanak Loeung, 45, was arrested and charged with enticing a child.
Loeung was an animation instructor at Waco High School’s Career and Technical Education Academy at the time of his arrest. The district has indicated that Loeung no longer works for Waco ISD.
According to a report by Fox 44 News in Waco, an arrest affidavit alleges Loeung used the Signal app to send “inappropriate” communications to the student, suggesting that they meet over spring break.
Loeung reportedly messaged the girl, “I like my job…in case you have eyes on your end who’d question you using this app.”
Waco ISD Police investigated the allegations, used the app in place of the student to track down Loeung, then obtained a warrant and arrested the teacher.
Loeung was booked into the McLennan County Jail on March 6. Bond was set at $20,000.
“Waco ISD is committed to the safety and well-being of every student,” the district stated.
Following an internal investigation into allegations of a teacher ‘enticing a child,’ the district is cooperating with law enforcement to file criminal charges.
While there is currently no indication that these allegations involve sexual interaction, the district maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding unauthorized or unsupervised contact between employees and students. Waco ISD expects all staff to uphold the highest standards of professional conduct and transparency with parents and guardians.
“As this is a pending legal and personnel matter, the district will provide further updates as they become available,” the statement concluded.
Loeung’s LinkedIn page shows he had worked for Waco ISD since 2014. He also lists a part-time job as a math tutor.
Loeung has held a Texas teaching certificate for math since 2009. His current certifications also include teaching computer science and special education.
Over the past few years, hundreds of Texas school employees have been accused of sex crimes involving students and other children, and thousands have been reported to the Texas Education Agency for sexual misconduct.
