LONGVIEW, Texas — Longview ISD students impacted by alleged abuse from teachers, administrators will receive $2.5 million settlement.
The settlement was voted on at Monday night's Longview ISD board meeting. The board unanimously voted to to authorize its legal counsel to resolve the case by signing and accepting the mediator's proposal.
Six former employees have been charged and indicted in connection with alleged offenses toward students enrolled in the J.L. Everhart Elementary life skills classroom.
Those who have been accused include:
- Former International Baccalaureate teacher Priscilla Rosa Johnson, 56
- Former teacher’s aide Cynthia Denise Talley, 55
- Former special education teacher Cecilia Gregg, 57
- Former J.L. Everhart Principal Cassandra Renee James, 47
- Former Assistant Principal Linda Kay Browne Lister, 60
- Former teacher’s aide Paula Hawkins Dixon, 58
"Nothing can give our kids those months back," said Shane McGuire, an attorney representing the families of the children. "There is no happiness with the resolution of the case."
According to the student's attorney, the money will be divided equally, $250,000 each, among the children and their families. Most of the students will be able to access the funds through a parent using a registry of the court.
"The parents can use those funds to help these kids throughout their childhood and even after that," McGuire said.
McGuire said their next step to file a lawsuit on behalf of the students and their families.
"There's no excuse for what happened to these kids," McGuire said. "Nobody lived in a day where it was appropriate to beat disabled children."
Attorneys McGuire and Geoff Hoover believe the abuse spanned from at least 2019 through October 2021.
In a press release, the attorneys allege these forms of abuse inflicted upon the 10 students:
- Taping a mask to a non-verbal, autistic child’s face, then taping his hands together so he could not use them to attempt to remove it.
- Striking children repeatedly on their heads, ears, torsos, legs, arms and hands.
- Repeatedly placing children in a supply closet.
- Intentionally pulling a chair out from under a child so he would fall to the floor.
- Putting a child in a headlock and pulling him out of the bathroom.
According to the district, Gregg, Dixon and Talley were fired once the district officials learned of the allegations. James and Lister resigned in lieu of termination. Johnson also resigned from her teaching position.
Additionally, the district said the accusations were reported to the State Board of Educator Certification, which is the group charged with responsibly investigating to determine if these individuals will keep their professional educator certificates.
The attorneys believe there might be additional children who suffered abuse or discrimination at J.L Everhart Elementary. If so, contact the McGuire Firm or Geoff Hoover at Sorey & Hoover.