Teacher Cleared In Child Sex Abuse Case Gives Up Teaching Career

Jesus Solis, a former Las Cruces elementary teacher once charged with more than 50 counts of Criminal Sexual Contact of a Minor, has giving up his teaching license.

Solis’ license wasn’t affected after the district attorney reduced the charges to four counts of Misdemeanor Battery.

Officials with the Las Cruces Public Schools District and the New Mexico Department of Education would not confirm why Solis gave up his license.

“That’s the right thing to do. He did the right thing. He surrendered his license in the state,” said the father of one of the accusers, “He’ll never be able to teach in the state of New Mexico.”

Solis has been on probation since the May 2014 plea deal. At the time, a judge ordered him not to have any unsupervised contact with children.

“This was a bitter and hard-fought case and we are very happy with the licensee’s decision to voluntarily surrender his license,” stated Hannah Skandera, in a settlement document, “It is a major victory at a greatly reduced cost.”

Skandera is the New Mexico Secretary of Education.

Back in May 2014, Solis spoke in his own defense, telling the judge his hugs and affection were misinterpreted by the students who accused him.