A former Jacksboro ISD paraprofessional was arrested on August 2 for allegedly having an “improper relationship” with an 18-year-old student.
In a press release issued by the Jacksboro Police Department, Chief Scott W. Haynes said an investigation began when the department was notified by a district administrator in April that an educator was engaging in a relationship with an adult student at Jacksboro High School.
“The educator was placed on administrative leave, no longer permitted on school property, and was later terminated on April 21,” the press release stated.
Haynes claimed the press release, which was issued on June 8, weeks after police were notified, was sent out when it was because he did not believe there was an immediate threat to the community.
“If there had been a threat, I would have notified the superintendent and our community that a threat exists. I have been transparent each time there has been a threat to any of our campuses, and my highest priority as your Chief of Police is to protect our children,” claimed Haynes.
“I take full responsibility for the efforts to protect the integrity and confidentiality of this investigation as well as the victim’s right to privacy,” Haynes added.
Nearly two months later, Elizabeth Bondarets, 29, surrendered herself on a felony warrant to the Parker County Sheriff’s Office, according to an August 2 press release from the Jacksboro Police Department.
Bondarets became a certified educational aide in June 2022, but that certification is currently under review by the State Board for Educator Certification.
The most recent press release says Bondarets is charged with an improper relationship between educator and student, a second-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
An improper relationship between an educator and a student is defined in Section 21.12 of the Texas Penal Code.
The code states that the offense involves an “employee of a public or private primary or secondary school” that “engages in sexual contact, sexual intercourse, or deviate sexual intercourse with a person who is enrolled in a public or private primary or secondary school at which the employee works.”
Bondarets was booked in Parker County Jail and later released on a $5,000 bond, according to the Texas Scorecard.
Jacksboro ISD is not the only public school system in North Texas to see its employees get arrested over crimes involving students in the past year.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, a chemistry teacher at Bryan Adams High School Leadership Academy was arrested last month after investigators claimed he was engaging in a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old student of his.
Before that, the 34-year-old athletics director of Hector P. Garcia Middle School was arrested for a similar alleged offense.