AUSTIN, Texas — A Bastrop ISD teacher is no longer with the district after allegedly agreeing to meet with a detective who was posing as a 15-year-old girl.
Police in the Fort Worth area say 42-year-old James Byrd thought he was having an online conversation with a teen on Whisper, a social media chat platform. He was then arrested by North Richland Hills police on Dec. 27 after allegedly agreeing to meet with the person he thought was an underage girl.
In a statement sent to KVUE, Bastrop ISD said Byrd was put on administrative leave when the district learned about his arrest on Jan. 4. The district said Byrd, a history teacher at Cedar Creek High School, resigned the same day.
The district said students in his class will now have a substitute teacher who will take over for the rest of the school year.
Here's a copy of a letter the district sent to the parents of Byrd's students:
"Dear parents,
"You are receiving this email today to make you aware of a change in teacher assignment for your child's history class. Beginning today, your child's history class will be taught by a substitute teacher who is certified and experienced in teaching history courses. This placement will continue for the remainder of the school year.
"On Thursday when we returned from the winter break, your child's former history teacher, James Byrd, was placed on administrative leave after the district learned of Mr. Byrd's arrest in Tarrant County on December 28. Per protocol, in addition to placing the teacher on leave, BISD reported him to the State Board for Educator Certification. The District accepted his resignation on January 4, and he is no longer employed by BISD.
"Although the criminal investigation does not involve BISD or any of our students and rests with officials in Tarrant County, Bastrop ISD will cooperate fully with law enforcement as needed.
"Please be assured that high-quality teaching and learning in your child's history class will continue uninterrupted for the rest of this semester. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Sincerely,
Kasie Stagman
CCHS Principal"