Former RRISD assistant principal accused of choking 10-year-old at skating rink

AUSTIN, Texas - Austin Police have arrested a former assistant principal with Round Rock ISD related to an incident off campus. He's accused of choking a 10-year-old boy at a North Austin skating rink.

Round Rock ISD said Chad Sanders joined Cedar Valley Middle School at the start of this school year. The district said in March he was placed on administrative leave from an internal investigation involving coworkers. By April, he resigned.

Round Rock ISD sent out an email to Cedar Valley families, informing them that the former assistant principal Chad Sanders was arrested for injury to a child off campus.

"You never expect that someone like him, you know, could to that to a kid. I don't know, it's just scary that you have one person like that at your daughter's school," said Blanca Serrato, parent.

On May 12th, Austin Police were called out to Playland Skate Center in North Austin in regards to a physical disturbance between a child and an adult. Court documents state a 10-year-old boy had asked an employee if he could have some leftovers from a birthday party and was told yes. But Sanders, who police said was part of that party, reportedly told the boy he could not take anything.

The boy then skated away. Police said in surveillance video, Sanders goes over to the victim and appears to pick him up by the neck, stand him up and force him into a corner. The victim said he felt like he couldn't breathe for a few seconds. He told police that Sanders asked him for his wallet, but when he told him he didn't have a wallet, he took his glasses. Police believe they were later thrown in the trash.

"You never know. I mean you see a person but you don't really see what is going on, like their personal issues or anything like that. So it is something that you worry about, for your kids," said Serrato.

Sanders was arrested on May 22nd. He served as a teacher with Round Rock ISD from 2012-2014.
He was an administrator in 2015 and Cedar Valley M.S. assistant principal 2016-2017 school year, ultimately resigning in April. The district said there are no records of him harming a student during his employment.