A Normangee ISD employee has been fired following allegations of inappropriate touching and inappropriate conduct on Snapchat

NORMANGEE, Texas (KBTX) – Normangee ISD has terminated the employment of an employee initially placed on administrative leave following allegations of inappropriate behavior toward a student, according to new documents released Friday. To protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation, KBTX has chosen not to release the identity of the employee involved until formal charges are filed.

Documents provided to KBTX by the Haglund law firm and Normangee ISD as part of a public records request show that an employee received a written reprimand on October 11 for using Snapchat for unauthorized one-on-one communication with a student, in violation of both district policies and Education Code standards Texas. The reprimand outlined corrective measures, including mandatory ethics training, a review of district policies and written reflection.

“This letter constitutes a formal reprimand regarding your recent one-on-one communication with a student via social media, which is in direct violation of our district policies and state laws regarding appropriate communication between teachers and students. As a classroom aide, you are expected to maintain professional boundaries at all times, adhering to the ethical standards set by both our school district and the Texas Education Code (TEC), as well as the State Board of Teacher Certification (SBEC), – we read the reprimand.

However, on October 18, Normangee ISD terminated the employee’s employment, citing alleged misconduct and further allegations of inappropriate contact with female students.

“Please accept this correspondence as notice of the termination of your employment with the Normangee Independent School District. The termination of employment is for reasons related to misconduct related to work for the school district and is effective October 18, 2024.” – we read in the termination letter.

“You have violated the school district’s DH (Legal), DH (Local), and DH (Exhibition) policies by communicating with students) via ‘Snapchat.’ It is also alleged that you inappropriately touched female students), which is also a violation of state law and school district policy,” the letter added.

Termination of employment with the Normangee Independent School District is effective immediately.

CONTINUOUS PROTECTION: Normangee ISD is asking the public for more information about a teacher’s “inappropriate behavior.”

The Leon County District Attorney’s Office, which is investigating the case, has asked the district to withhold certain documents to protect the integrity of the investigation. In a letter dated Oct. 22, District Attorney James “Caleb” Henson advised the district to refrain from disclosing any information that could interfere with a potential criminal prosecution and jeopardize the parties’ ability to obtain a fair trial for the alleged crime.

“As the matter is currently under investigation and could result in formal criminal proceedings, disclosure of information relating to this incident could jeopardize the parties’ ability to obtain a fair trial and would unduly interfere with the investigation and prosecution of the alleged crime,” he added. said Leon County District Attorney James “Caleb” Henson. “We therefore request that Normangee ISD decline to provide the requested information and seek the opinion of the Attorney General confirming that this information is not currently available under the Public Information Act.”

The move is the latest in a series of actions taken by Normangee ISD as it faces scrutiny from parents and community members who have expressed frustration with communication delays. Some parents previously expressed concerns that they only learned about the allegations through community sources rather than official school district channels, prompting criticism of the district’s transparency.

Superintendent Justin Vercher confirmed in documents that the termination would be reported to the State Board of Teacher Certification (Texas Education Agency), which could result in a permanent employment ban in Texas public schools. The affected employee also has the right to appeal against the termination.

“You have the right to appeal the termination of the Supervisory Board by submitting a formal complaint in accordance with the DGBA (LOCAL) and DGBA (LEGAL) board policies within the time period allowed by this policy, the letter reads.

A report of your termination of employment and your misconduct will be filed with the State Board of Teacher Certification and, upon investigation by the SBEC, may result in a ban from working in public education in the State of Texas.

School officials say the Normangee ISD board will not discuss the matter publicly until the investigation is complete. In the meantime, district officials are working with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies as the investigation progresses.

KBTX will continue to monitor the case and provide updates as more information becomes available.

If you have any additional information to share about this investigation, please contact one of the following people:

Leon County Sheriff’s Office (903) 536-2749
Normangee ISD Police Department (936) 396-3111, ext. 2281
Normangee ISD Superintendent’s Office (936) 396-3111, ext. 2204

For the latest news, follow Donnie Tuggle Facebook, Twitter, YouTube AND Instagram.

If there’s something you’d like KBTX investigative reporter Donnie Tuggle to cover, please email us [email protected] or fill out this application form.