TYLER, Texas — A former Tyler ISD substitute teacher accused of touching an elementary school student inappropriately was recently indicted on improper relationship and sexual assault of a child charges.
Karen Lamae Dunn, 48, of Tyler, was arrested for improper relationship between an educator and student and aggravated sexual assault of a child charges in May and remains in the Smith County Jail on bonds totaling $250,000.
A grand jury handed down indictments on the same charges on Aug. 3, according to Smith County judicial records. A pre-trial/plea hearing is set for Oct. 2 in the 475th District Court.
According to the arrest affidavit, Tyler ISD Police Department Chief Danny Brown was told by a principal at the elementary school that the student said Dunn, who was serving as the substitute teacher for In School Suspension, touched the child inappropriately.
Brown said in the affidavit he learned from another principal that Dunn gave the student pieces of paper with an address later confirmed to be Dunn’s and a phone number. The student said Dunn gave the paper after touching her inappropriately and then invited the child to her house, where Dunn and her sister would have a girls party, the affidavit said.
The document states the student told her regular teacher Dunn was talking about “stuff she does with her sister and boyfriend" and if the child came over to her house, it would not hurt, the affidavit read.
Dunn had been a substitute teacher since 2016. The Human Resources Department told Tyler ISD police Dunn denied doing anything to the student and Dunn’s employment had been terminated. The HR director contacted Dunn using the number she allegedly gave the child, according to the document.
On Monday, Tyler ISD issued a statement regarding the arrest, saying Dunn, was terminated immediately and will never be allowed back in the district.
In a statement from the affidavit, the school nurse reported Dunn wanted to go to the bathroom with the child and Dunn tried to touch her inappropriately. The nurse said the student pushed Dunn out of the way and ran to the office for help.
An office clerk recalled the student coming into the office, repeatedly asking for the staff to let the child hide. The student told the office worker that Dunn started an inappropriate conversation about Dunn and her boyfriend, according to the document.
When asked what happened to the child by a principal, Dunn said nothing happened and she chased the child because the student ran out of the classroom. Dunn was told to go directly to the Tyler ISD HR Department, the affidavit read.
In a police interview, Dunn denied talking about her boyfriend or sister with the student. She did admit to giving her phone number and address to the child, telling the student to call her and visit. She said she knew doing so was wrong and said she had no relationship with the student outside of school, according to the affidavit.
Dunn also denied touching the student inappropriately. Dunn said she went into the bathroom because she wasn’t sure if the child really needed to go to the restroom. She denied going into the stall with the student, the document read.
According to the document, Dunn said kids “lie on teachers all the time.” Dunn left the interview after expressing her interest in a lawyer.