A Taylor Independent School District teacher has been arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a student on campus.
The alleged assault happened Tuesday, December 8, 2009. The student reported the incident on Wednesday. By Thursday, officers arrested the substitute teacher and brought him to the Williamson County Jail.
Gabriel Luis Sanchez, 24, is charged with the sexual assault of the student, a second degree felony.
According to Taylor ISD, Sanchez and the female student had a sexual encounter on the campus Tuesday afternoon.
“We trust the employees and the teachers and the principals to make sure that our children stay safe,” said Kandis Steward, Taylor HS mother. “For someone to just do that to a child. You know, I mean, it's unthinkable. It's unthinkable and I'm just totally blown away by it.”
Superintendent Dr. Bruce Scott says the student told an assistant principal the next day. She said it happened inside one of the classrooms on campus around 4 p.m.
“The student was nervous but said she knew what happened was wrong and needed to be reported,” said Superintendent Scott.
The district immediately removed Sanchez from the campus. Officers began investigating the allegations. Police arrested Sanchez the following day.
Sanchez was employed as a substitute instructional aide at the high school. According to Scott, he worked with the Content Mastery class at Taylor High School. The class consists of a group of students ranging from 14 to 20 years old who need additional instructional help.
“You get substitutes that you don't know where they come from. It's kind of worrisome,” said David DelaCerda, father.
According to the district, Sanchez passed criminal background checks with the Texas Department of Public Safety and a fingerprint screening through the FBI.
Notices went out to parents Thursday afternoon.
“I'm not worried. I've got a good kid. She's got good friends. I like the teachers, principal. Hopefully it's an isolated incident,” said Lisa Leschber, Taylor High School mother.
It remains unclear whether Sanchez and the student he's accused of sexually assaulting had a relationship outside of the campus prior to the assault.
The second degree felony charge could cost Sanchez 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
