(Texas Scorecard) – A Houston charter school teacher is under investigation after a 13-year-old female student accused the now-former educator of inappropriate touching and sending her lewd social media messages.
According to a search warrant reviewed by ABC 13, the 28-year-old teacher—whose name has been withheld since he has not been criminally charged—previously worked at IDEA Hardy, part of the IDEA Public Schools charter network.
School officials report the teacher’s employment ended in June for reasons unrelated to the current allegations.
The teacher’s predatory behavior allegedly began in December 2024 and continued through May 2025.
The student did not report the abuse to authorities until August, when she disclosed the incidents to a family member.
Investigators say the teacher started by sending the student inappropriate “out of pocket” videos via TikTok, including one featuring a maid costume and telling the girl she would look good dressed that way.
The behavior escalated, with the teacher allegedly poking and patting her thigh during class and later massaging her thigh and asking if she wanted “things to happen.”
The student claims that after she moved to another class, the teacher pulled her back under the pretense of finishing a test, then touched her breasts.
IDEA Public Schools initially claimed to believe the abuse had occurred only after the teacher’s dismissal, but later clarified that it learned about the allegations after his termination in June.
Law enforcement continues to investigate, while IDEA insists it “is committed to prioritizing the safety and well-being of staff and students.”
This is the third IDEA Public Schools employee accused of sex crimes involving a student this year.
In September, Shonterrich Jeremaine Johnson, an assistant principal of instruction at the IDEA Parmer Park charter school in Austin, was arrested and charged with improper relationship between educator and student and online solicitation of a minor.
In March, Aaron Freeman, an assistant principal at IDEA Round Rock Tech, was arrested for indecency with a child by sexual contact after he was accused of inappropriately touching a female student.
Hundreds of Texas educators have been accused of sex crimes involving students and other children over the past few years in school districts across the state.