Alex Cornelius, a ten-year-old autistic boy, attends a special needs program at Millsap ISD in Parker County. Recent video footage taken by a witness in his classroom revealed two of his teachers abusing Alex. Teacher Jennifer Dale swung at him and struck him, and paraprofessional Paxton Bean yelled at him and hit him with a toy before throwing it at him.
Other witnesses reported that the teachers would make inappropriate comments about his private parts and regularly taunt him, one time to the extent that he covered his ears with his hands and began to rock back and forth.
In an interview with Alex’s mother and grandfather, his grandfather stated that the fact “that the person knew the video needed to be taken is another indicator to me that this has probably been going on for a while.”
Witnesses testified that these teachers have abused other children besides Alex. One of them took an unnamed child into a calm-down room, and the child returned with a bloody nose. The child claimed the teacher had punched him.
Both teachers were fired from Millsap ISD and arrested. Dale was charged with official oppression for intentionally subjecting three known child victims to mocking, mistreating, and tormenting. Bean was charged with oppression and injury to a child.
To make matters worse, the Millsap ISD school superintendent, Mari Edie Martin, was arrested because it was discovered that she was aware of the abuse and had seen the video footage. She did not report it for nine days after she discovered it and she tried to cover it up and told the witness who recorded the video to delete it and to keep the information from the parents of the children involved.
In an emotional school board meeting, parents called for Martin’s firing for covering it up. The school board, which citizens elect, selects superintendents. The board wanted to make sure that everyone was investigated fairly before making a decision but the superintendent resigned before they had a chance.
Copyright © 2025 Protecting texas Children
