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A Houston Independent School District (HISD) teacher has been charged with injuring a child after reportedly dragging a five-year-old across the floor of an elementary school.
On November 3, 2022, Jenny Dominguez, a dual language teacher at Katherine Smith Elementary, caused bodily harm to Fany Castro. A witness who saw the incident occur alleges it happened when the teacher asked Fany to throw a fork in the garbage can, and the latter refused.
The witness also stated that Dominguez told the student, "No seas chiflada," a Spanish phrase which roughly translates to, "Don't be a brat." They further described the Houston teacher's behavior as being "irrational" and "out of control."
According to court documents, when Fany refused to throw a fork in the dustbin, 44-year-old Dominguez grabbed her left arm and hair, and dragged her across the concrete ground until they reached a trash can that was 29 feet away.
According to a report by ABC13, the kindergarten teacher was caught on video surveillance.
Houston kindergartner's mother "furious at the teacher," says her daughter no longer feels safe in school
Fany Castro's mother, Patricia Saldana, was distraught over the incident and told the media:
"It made me kind of furious at the teacher and school district, which is supposed to be a safe place for the kids to learn, play, and not to worry about anyone mistreating them."
According to Saldana, Dominguez has bullied her daughter several times in the past. She alleged that the teacher had previously called her daughter fat and often told her, "She didn't need to be eating." The mother further explained that following the incident, Fany no longer likes going to school:
"She doesn't feel safe. She tries to leave the school. She just doesn't seem like she was... She was happy to go to school every day."
Saldana told ABC13 that her daughter sustained a small cut and a swollen arm as a result of the incident.
Houston Independent School District issues statement
In response to the shocking incident, the Houston Independent School District released a statement to ABC13, stating:
"HISD takes these situations very seriously, and the safety and well-being of our students is always our absolute top priority. ISD PD (Independent School District Police Department) was notified of an allegation of misconduct, and the educator was immediately reassigned pending the outcome of the investigation."
The statement also added that due to the "Family Education Rights Privacy Act" and a "pending investigation," they will not provide any additional information.
The 44-year-old accused Houston teacher was charged with a felony for injuring a child but has not been arrested or taken into custody yet.
At another Texas school, an unnamed teacher was placed on administrative leave after a series of videos of him making "inappropriate comments" in the classroom went viral. The teacher was caught on video stating that he believes his race is "superior." At one point during the conversation, the teacher is seen admitting to being a racist. While the internet demands that the teacher be fired, the school district is yet to complete the investigation before taking any other action.
