Houston ISD Teacher Accused of Locking Special Needs Students in Cabinet

06/06/2025

Houston ISD Teacher Accused of Locking Special Needs Students in Cabinet

By | Texas Scorecard | June 5, 2025

A Houston Independent School District special education teacher has been recommended for termination after allegedly locking several special needs students in a cabinet.

The incident, which took place at Moreno Elementary School and came to light in late May, has sparked outrage among parents and renewed scrutiny of the district’s troubled special education system.

According to FOX 26 Houston, the incident involved an autistic first-grade student whose mother, Mrs. Mejia, expressed shock and anger upon learning about the situation.

She stated, “When I first got the news about it, I was honestly shocked. And I was very angry.” Mrs. Mejia is considering legal action against the teacher.

Houston ISD confirmed that the teacher was immediately placed on leave following the incident and that an internal investigation had been initiated. The district then recommended the teacher for termination, although the teacher’s name has not been released.

“Please be advised that a teacher has been temporarily reassigned pending the outcome of an internal investigation regarding a personal matter,” Principal Ruben Pineda told parents.

A media spokesperson for Houston ISD told Texas Scorecard that the district’s police department has opened an investigation and that he could not confirm or deny whether other complaints had been made against the accused teacher.

This incident adds to a series of challenges facing Houston ISD’s special education program.

TEA recently expanded its intervention in Houston ISD, citing the need for compliance with special education laws as one of the reasons for this expansion.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights currently has multiple open investigations into Houston ISD over alleged disability discrimination.

Joseph is a journalist for Texas Scorecard reporting from Houston. With a background in business, Joseph is passionate about covering issues impacting citizens.