Allegations of Abuse at Texas School District
This year, the Millsap Independent School District in Parker County, Texas, was hit with a federal lawsuit following accusations that two staff members, special education teacher Jennifer Dale and paraprofessional Paxton Bean, abused a special needs student. They’ve been charged with official repression, and Bean faces further felony charges related to child injuries. The principal of Millsap ISD, Mari “Edie” Martin, is also under scrutiny for allegedly not reporting the abuse.
The lawsuit claims that Dale and Bean physically mistreated a 10-year-old boy with nonverbal autism, named Alex Cornelius. There is video evidence indicating that Bean threw items at Alex, and accusations of verbal and psychological abuse have surfaced as well.
Martin is accused of attempting to cover up the abuse by failing to alert Texas family and protective services, or local law enforcement, as mandated by law. Reports suggest she even instructed witnesses to destroy evidence.
All three individuals—Dale, Bean, and Martin—were arrested, charged, and subsequently fired from Millsap ISD. Furthermore, three other educators—Jami Riggs, Jeannie Bottorff, and Shannon Krause—also face misdemeanor charges for neglecting their duty to report the abuse.
During a segment on Blazetv, host Sarah Gonzalez mentioned how, “If this happened to my child, I would be in prison now.” She showcased video footage from a whistleblower that prompted the lawsuit, warning viewers to manage their blood pressure when watching it.
The video reportedly depicts Dale acting aggressively towards Alex, with witnesses describing further mental and verbal mistreatment of special needs students, including provoking them, laughter at their expense, and using profanity.
Witness testimonies revealed that Dale and Bean confined children in a closet for extended periods, while some students cried for help, complaining of mistreatment. In one instance, a child alleged that Bean punched him, resulting in a visit to the school nurse due to a nosebleed.
Gonzalez remarked, “This story…it’s like an onion; the more layers you peel back, the more you find.” Notably, the principal, Roxy Carter—the mother of Paxton Bean—was implicated when a witness presented video evidence to Martin. Reports suggest Carter had even provided Bean with a recommendation letter to secure another position while the investigation remained unresolved.
In an alarming twist, when Martin received the evidence, she allegedly attempted to intimidate the whistleblower and erase the video, as suggested by recorded audio transcripts.
“Too much money corrupts… there are no exceptions, and public schools are no different,” added Sarah.
For more on this unfolding story, check out the full episode and hear additional insights from Gonzalez.
