An educator from the Dallas Independent School District was arrested Friday for allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a student.
The Dallas Police Department (DPD) said that Kaylen Cottongame, 34, an athletic director at Hector P. Garcia Middle School, was arrested for the alleged crime, according to a press release.
Police also said that DPD’s Child Exploitation unit was tipped off last week about the alleged relationship between Cottongame and a former student at DISD who was not named in the press release.
Trustee Edwin Flores told The Dallas Express that incidents of educators having inappropriate relations with students were an epidemic in all the school districts.
“This is horrible and the person should go to jail if guilty,” Flores said. “As a trustee, we try to put guardrails in place … to help protect our kids … what universe are these people living in?”
Cottongame was taken to Dallas County Jail, but it was not clear whether she was given bail.