Several North Texas educators and school district employees have been arrested this year following accusations from students spanning sexual misconduct and physical assault.
The arrests trail months of lawsuits, media attention and intense scrutiny at Celina Independent School District late last year, when Caleb Elliott, a former middle school football coach, was accused of surreptitiously recording boys in the locker room.
More than 30 families have since been informed that photos of their children were found on Elliott’s phone, according to one of the suits, and he was indicted in November on several federal charges.
His father, Bill Elliot, Celina High School’s former athletic director, and Allison Ginn, the former principal of Moore Middle School, resigned amid the controversy.
Crime in The News
Here are the arrests made this year in North Texas, based on previous reporting from The Dallas Morning News.
Israel Demello, Sanger ISD
A Sanger ISD police officer was arrested on Jan. 14 after being accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student in the district.
Israel Demello, 26, was booked into Denton County Jail on charges of improper relationship between educator and student, sexual assault of a child, sexual performance by a child and indecency with a child by sexual contact, all second-degree felonies.
An arrest warrant affidavit said the alleged relationship between Demello and an underage student at Sanger High School started in 2024. The mother of the victim told investigators she found texts and photos of a sexual nature between her child and Demello.
The student told police there were two instances of sexual contact that occurred in March 2025 and again in the fall.
The student also told the police that all instances of physical contact occurred on Sanger ISD school grounds.
Lindsey Post, McKinney ISD
A McKinney ISD athletic trainer was arrested on Jan. 28 after she was accused of sexually assaulting a high school student.
Lindsey Post, 35, faces charges of sexual assault of a child and improper relationship between educator and student, Collin County jail records show.
According to Paul Herz, a Dallas attorney hired by the student’s family, the student, a freshman at McKinney North High School, was the victim of multiple rapes that began in fall 2025.
In a statement issued by McKinney ISD, district officials said they immediately notified authorities of the allegations and placed Post on administrative leave for the duration of the investigation.
Eric Moore, Little Elm
A former teacher at a Little Elm charter school was arrested on Jan. 29 following allegations of “inappropriate contact.”
Eric Moore, 30, of Frisco, was accused of inappropriate conduct with a child at the North Texas Collegiate Academy’s East Campus in Little Elm.
He was indicted in February on five charges, including four counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and one of indecency with a child.
“While we recognize the gravity of the charges and the understandable public concern, these matters are often far more complex than initial reports suggest,” Moore’s defense attorney Ashley Feldt said in a statement.
Moore has since resigned.
Michael Cheek, Frisco ISD
A third-grade teacher from Frisco ISD was arrested in February after a student accused him of inappropriately photographing her.
Michael Cheek, 48, faces a charge of invasive visual recording, punishable by up to two years in jail and a fine of up to $10,000.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, a mother reported to Frisco police that her 10-year-old daughter said she was being inappropriately touched by her math teacher at Billy Gene Phillips Elementary School.
In an interview at the Children’s Advocacy Center of North Texas, the student said it was not the first time Cheek had taken pictures of her. She also told the interviewer he had taken pictures of at least one other student.
Cheek was placed on leave and is prohibited from entering Frisco ISD property.
Miguel Caban Mendez, Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD
A former teacher within Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD was arrested on March 3 and faces several charges related to indecency with a child.
Miguel Caban Mendez, 57, who worked at DeWitt Perry Middle School, faces two charges of improper relationship between educator and student, two charges of indecency with a child and one charge of indecent assault.
His bail was set at $330,000, according to online jail records.
Patricia Kemper, Frisco ISD
A Frisco ISD teacher was arrested earlier this month after she was accused of assaulting a student in her class.
Patricia Kemper, 54, faces a charge of injury to a child. She worked as a special education teacher at McSpedden Elementary School where she provided specialized instruction to students with learning disabilities and behavioral challenges.
Two paraprofessionals who were assigned to Kemper’s classroom told police that they witnessed Kemper slap a student on his face, according to an affidavit.
During an interview with police, Kemper denied intentionally striking the child and told police that she “did not recall slapping him.” She said if her hand contacted the child’s face it would have been accidental, the affidavit said.
In a statement to The News, Aimee Kemper, the teacher’s daughter, said the reports do not reflect the person the family knows or the educator Kemper has been for many years.
The school district said Kemper is no longer employed by the district and is restricted by court order from entering school district property.