Texas Teacher and Aides Arrested After Giving Shocking Punishment To Student With Down Syndrome

The arrest of one teacher and two teaching aides or paraprofessionals in Tyler, Texas have shocked the community. The three were arrested after allegedly punishing a high school student with Down Syndrome for hours as a teacher cursed at him.

According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the three former Tyler ISD employees were arrested on March 28 and are behind bars on charges of injury to a child, elderly individual or disabled individual.

Texas Student Punished For Hours

According to Tyler Police, Krystina Renea Haas, a special education teacher, and teaching aides Prisicilla Gutierrez and June Tryon were arrested after police watched surveillance footage from the classroom. The video shows that student entering the school's life skills classroom and was forced to walk around his desk in circles. Police say that after about two hours of walking, without any breaks, Hass, the special education teacher yelled in the face of the student and was cussed at.

At that point Haas told Tryon to "get the tape" according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Tyron then wrapped the students hands with packing tape so he couldn't move his fingers. Then student was then told to continue walking around the desk, without breaks for over 2 hours. After that time he was told to stand in the corner of the room, hands still taped, for about one hour and 45 minutes. Then the tape was removed so he could catch the bus home.

Teacher Defends Actions

According to the Star-Telegram, Haas defended her actions. Saying the student kept flipping off staff and pointed "finger guns" at staff. She also told police that the actions they took weren't hurting him

“It’s not going to hurt them to stand for four hours or walk,” Haas told police. “It’s not going to hurt them.” She said it is common practice to make students walk around the room for 10 to 15 minutes if they were being disrespectful, police said. Haas also said that this was the only student whose hands were taped, and it had happened once before, according to the affidavit. “They’re not precious babies, they’re fourteen- or fifteen-year-old teenage kids,” she said during an interview with police, according to the affidavit.

As of this writing the teacher and staff remain in jail.