The Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office, alongside Fort Bend Independent School District (ISD) officials, has confirmed that several staff members at Burton Elementary School have been terminated due to a serious investigation into allegations of child abuse and injury.
This announcement comes in the wake of ongoing inquiries by the Sheriff’s Office into the actions of a teacher and teacher assistants at the school. Investigators are actively working to identify any additional victims among the students who were under the supervision of the dismissed employees.
Fort Bend ISD released a statement indicating that after receiving a report concerning student safety, they promptly initiated an investigation. During this extensive review, multiple incidents involving student safety were uncovered, leading to the termination of the staff members involved, whose behavior was deemed inconsistent with district standards.
Concern among parents has grown, particularly from those with children in the special education program. Crystal Mendez, mother of a 9-year-old non-verbal autistic boy, expressed her alarm after being informed by the district on April 27 that her son might be a victim of physical abuse by a teacher and nursing staff. Mendez shared images of bruises on her son’s body, which she claims date back to February and March.
Mendez voiced her distress, stating, “I would want to know what my son did to deserve that. You took an oath to protect these kids. Why can’t you treat my child like you treat your children?” She further noted that she became aware of the potential abuse through social media, following a post by another concerned mother.
While the district has not disclosed the exact number of employees who were let go, citing student privacy laws, the Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the allegations pertain to abuse and injury, with the investigation still active. Authorities have also reported the situation to Child Protective Services and local law enforcement, although no criminal charges had been filed as of late Monday afternoon.
A spokesperson for the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office remarked, “Our investigators are actively working this case and are reviewing all students who were under the supervision of these staff members.” The district has emphasized that the safety of its students remains its top priority and has pledged full cooperation with law enforcement throughout the investigation.
Burton Elementary School is situated in Fresno, Texas, and the community is awaiting further developments as the investigation unfolds.
