Teacher banned from school for duct taping students mouths shut

A substitute teacher has been banned from the campus of an elementary school in Killeen, after she allegedly placed duct tape over the mouths of 13 students, according to the Killen Independent School District.

The teacher was substituting a fifth-grade class at Maxdale Elementary School when the incident occurred.

Margo Crawford a concerned parent said she heard about the situation through Facebook.

"Thirteen students, they were duck taped and their mouths were duck taped shut," said Crawford. "It's a scary situation and it's scary to be put in that situation especially a child I couldn't imagine.”

Guillermo Tersy was picking up his son from school Friday but said he first heard about the incident Thursday and he couldn’t believe that a substitute teacher would duck tape student’s mouths shut.

"That's pretty inappropriate, I would be upset personally if that happened to my child," said Tersy.

According to school officials the ordeal lasted more than several minutes, until school leaders were notified in which point the substitute teacher whose name has not yet been released was removed from the classroom and barred from campus.
           
Allison Tellez a parent whose two children attend Maxdale Elementary School learned about the incident through her daughter.

"She comes home from school every day and tells me what happens and she told me what happened in the classroom next to hers. When I hear I was appalled over it,” said Tellez. 

In a statement released by KISD spokesman Terry Abbott, he called the substitute teacher's alleged actions "outrageous and unconscionable behavior."

Abbott went on to say in a statement:

"The leadership of Maxdale Elementary School and the Killeen Independent School District are deeply saddened by this event," Abbott said. "The principal has informed parents, and has reassured parents that the staff will continue to work hard to make sure every child at the campus is absolutely safe every day."

Tellez said she’s never had any issues with the school before or heard of anything like this happening.

“I don’t understand why a teacher would have duck tape in a classroom in the first place and think it’s ok to duck tape student’s mouths shut,” said Tellez.  "There's not a word that I can say that I would of done.  But the school is great and the teacher should have never been in a situation where she felt that she had the right to put duck tape on a child or go that close to a child.”

Tellez questioned the actions and motive behind the alleged act.

"There are principals, that's why there are other staff to help as a substitute.  You can get help, I don't see why you couldn't ask for help and instead you put your hands on a child?" said Tellez.

It’s not clear if police were notified.  However, according to Abbott, the school notified child protective services about the incident as well as parents.

After school officials learned of the incident, the students were taken to the school nurse for observation.

All 13 students were deemed well enough to continue with their later classes.