Another staff member at a public school district in Texas has been arrested on charges of improper contact with a 14-year-old student.
Isaiah Xavier Smith, 28, was arrested on December 8 for indecency with a child. His bond has been set at $30,000. Austin ISD Police Department opened an investigation into the former college readiness tutor at Akins High School after a student’s mother came forward to report an alleged encounter in a computer lab on October 25.
According to Austin ISD, which hired Smith in September, he was terminated the same day the report was made.
“Your child’s safety is our greatest concern,” Assistant Superintendent Angel Wilson said in a letter addressed to parents, per KVUE. “We are doing everything we can to understand how this incident occurred to prevent situations like this in the future.”
An affidavit states that video surveillance footage from the campus shows that Smith and the alleged 14-year-old victim were indeed alone in the computer lab at the time of the purported assault. The victim claimed that Smith had told him to stay behind after the tutoring session had ended. Smith then allegedly touched him inappropriately twice, grabbing his genitals over his clothes and then again over his underwear, according to the Texas Scorecard.
The allegations also include claims suggesting grooming behavior took place, with Smith reportedly telling the student on two occasions — including during the alleged assault — that he would buy him underwear and sneakers.
Several Texas teachers, coaches, and school resource officers have been accused of inappropriate conduct with students this year. Earlier this year, Dallas ISD saw three of its employees arrested on allegations of crimes committed against students.
As reported by The Dallas Express, a recent incident came to light in Tyler ISD, where a substitute teacher allegedly followed a middle schooler into a bathroom stall and reportedly forced inappropriate contact.
The national nonprofit Darkness to Light estimates that in roughly 90% of child sexual abuse cases, the victims know their abuser. In 60% of cases, the abuser gained access to the victim through school, church, sports, or by establishing a relationship of trust with their parents.
