A substitute teacher faces criminal charges after a middle schooler claimed the man sexually assaulted him in a bathroom stall.
Tyler police have been investigating an alleged sexual assault that occurred in a bathroom stall at Hubbard Middle School. The campus is part of Tyler ISD, which released a statement saying that the substitute teacher named in the incident — Davian Isaiah Hunter — has since been fired.
“From the beginning of the investigation, Hunter was immediately no longer a part-time employee of the district and will never be allowed back on any Tyler ISD properties,” the statement read, according to the Texas Scorecard.
Hunter, 29, was arrested and booked into Smith County jail on October 28, a day after the alleged assault took place. He faces charges of aggravated sexual assault and improper relationship between educator and student. His bond was set at $500,000.
The arrest affidavit for Hunter indicates that video footage from the school shows he was in the school bathroom at the same time as the alleged victim, having entered and left the facilities right after him.
Although reportedly scared to come forward at first, the purported victim told police that Hunter had forced sexual contact while they were both in the same bathroom stall, according to CBS 19. Hunter allegedly admitted to occupying the same stall as the student, but he denied that any inappropriate conduct occurred.
Hunter reportedly worked as a substitute teacher for six days this school year and is not certified by the state.
School systems nationwide have faced several staffing woes amid an ongoing teacher shortage, making it difficult to attract and retain high-quality educators. Alongside these challenges, accusations of sexual assault and inappropriate conduct by teachers and staff have emerged in several North Texas districts. Earlier this year, Dallas ISD saw three of its employees arrested for alleged crimes committed against students.
In September, another substitute teacher was accused of serious misconduct with students at Arlington ISD’s Sam Houston High School, as previously covered by The Dallas Express. Anthony Hawkins, 25, was arrested on three counts of improper relationship between student and educator and two counts of indecency with a child involving sexual contact. He did not hold a Texas teaching certificate at the time.