A Waco High School theater teacher has been arrested for alleged sexually inappropriate behavior with students.
Edward Earl Vermeulen-Wise, 48, was arrested and charged with child grooming, a third-degree felony punishable by 2 to 10 years in prison.
Vermeulen-Wise and his wife, also a theater teacher at the school, were placed on administrative leave from the Waco Independent School District in January when allegations of “serious professional misconduct” first arose.
An investigation reportedly found that Vermeulen-Wise called his theater students by inappropriate nicknames, played sexually themed games with them, and offered to buy one a sex toy.
Vermeulen-Wise was booked into the McLennan County Jail on May 8. According to jail records, he has since been released.
Online records show Vermeulen-Wise has worked for Waco ISD since the 2022-23 school year.
Waco ISD has not yet responded to a request to confirm the employment status of Edward and Ashley-Elizabeth Vermeulen-Wise.
Edward Vermeulen-Wise does not hold a Texas teaching certificate. He is listed in the Texas Education Agency’s Do Not Hire Registry as “under investigation.”
Over the past few years, a growing number of school employees across the state have been accused of sex crimes against students and other children, including in Waco ISD.
Last August, Waco High School teacher’s aide Jody Edwards was also arrested for grooming an underage student.
This year alone, three other theater teachers have faced student-related sexual misconduct allegations in Humble ISD, Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, and Pearland ISD.
Thousands of Texas educators have been reported to the TEA for sexual misconduct since the state began keeping organized records. A new Educator Misconduct Reporting Dashboard displays data on the number and type of complaints filed and investigated.
