Socorro High School teacher suspended after video shows him seemingly slapping teen girl on rear end
SOCORRO, Texas -- A Socorro High School teacher is on a paid suspension after a video surfaced showing the male educator apparently slapping a female student on her rear end. ABC-7 obtained a copy of the video, which can be viewed in the video player at the top of this article.
The Socorro Independent School District (SISD) confirmed to ABC-7 that the teacher has been placed on administrative leave while they investigate the allegation of inappropriate conduct.
ABC-7 has opted not to name the accused teacher since he is not currently facing any formal charges of wrongdoing.
A spokesman for the school district said it notified parents of the on Nov. 13, which is district policy.
The district said the notification was done by a standard automated phone call to parents from the principal.
This is the transcript of that phone call, which was provided to ABC-7:
Hi, this is Josh Tovar, principal of Socorro High School. I am calling to inform you that we received a report of alleged inappropriate conduct by an employee of our campus. The Socorro Independent School District takes every allegation very seriously and immediately initiated an investigation. The safety and security of our students is our number one priority! The individual named in the allegation was promptly placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of our investigation. Information surrounding the allegation is being investigated by all appropriate authorities. Due to confidentiality laws, this is all the information we can share at this time. That said, I assure you that the Socorro Independent School District will take all necessary action to ensure the continued safety and security of our children at Socorro High School. Thank you for your continued trust and support of Team SISD!
SISD officials declined to comment further, calling it a personnel matter. The district also refused to provide ABC-7 with the exact date when the incident occurred.
The Texas Education Agency, the branch of state government which oversees public education in the state, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC-7.
