A Milano ISD teacher has been reinstated, and a student has been disciplined, after the school investigated a charge of an “inappropriate relationship” and found it baseless.
Supt. Robert Westbrook told The Reporter Friday the rumor-filled flap turned out to be “much ado about nothing.”
But even after the investigation was complete, inaccurate information continued to be briefly circulated after Westbrook said an area television station erroneously reported the Milam County Prosecutor had been involved in the probe.
CHARGE—Westbrook said when the district became aware of the charge it followed established procedure by placing the employee on paid leave and beginning an investigation.
“The charge was that this relationship occurred at school, but not during school hours,” he said.
Westbrook said the MISD immediately called up the school’s video surveillance.
“Allegations mentioned specific times and places,” he said. “We’ve got very good video and we can pretty much see everything that goes on from the time everyone gets here in the morning until all the after-school activities are done.”
The superintendent said the video cleared the teacher.
“The allegations referenced specific moments and we not only looked at those times and days, we looked at other days just to be sure,” he said.
DISCIPLINED—“Everyone involved was adamant that this never happened,” Westbrook said. “We didn’t stop with the video. We looked at cell phones, messaging, email accounts and social media and it was all the same, this was unfounded.”
Westbrook said during the probe the student who made the original charge was identified.
“They have been disciplined, according to procedures set out in our student handbook,” he said.
NO DA—Westbrook said an area television station was apparently on the verge of running a story about the allegation “using names.”
“When I told them about the results, I mentioned talking to the (school) district’s attorney and they must have thought I said ‘district attorney’ and that’s the way it was originally reported,” he said.
“But our county prosecutor was never involved in this investigation,” Westbrook said.
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