The Brief

Plano ISD placed Brinker Elementary Principal Jennifer King on leave in July, and board members voted to terminate her employment on Thursday evening.

A civil lawsuit claims King received at least one report of teacher Paul Campbell inappropriately touching a student but failed to investigate or notify law enforcement.

Former teacher Paul Campbell is jailed on sexual abuse and indecency charges involving multiple students, though King faces no criminal charges.

PLANO, Texas – A Plano principal’s job is on the line after a teacher in her school was arrested and accused of sexually abusing multiple students.

Plano ISD Child Sex Abuse Investigation

What’s new

The Plano Independent School District placed Brinker Elementary School Principal Jennifer King on leave last month.

A lawsuit accuses her of failing to report allegations against former second grade teacher Paul Campbell. 

The suit states King received at least one report of Campbell touching a student inappropriately but she did not investigate, did not tell law enforcement, and did not report anything to the Texas Education Agency.

Campbell is currently in the Collin County jail charged with one count of sexual abuse of a child and three counts of indecency with a child.

Although King is a defendant in the civil lawsuit, she is not facing any criminal charges.

What’s next

On Thursday night, school board members voted 7-0 to send a termination and non-renewel letter to King, beginning the process of firing her as Brinker Elementary School’s principal.

Paul Campbell Arrested

The backstory

Campbell was first arrested on July 8 and charged with the continuous sexual abuse of a child.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit, the longtime Brinker Elementary School teacher sexually abused one of his second-grade students on the school’s campus over the past school year.

The 8-year-old girl told her parents over the Fourth of July weekend that Campbell touched her between her legs when she visited his desk to ask a question. 

She said it happened throughout the year. Campbell would run her through her clothing while answering her question. She said that her friend, and possibly other female classmates, had experienced the same thing. She never saw it happen to any male classmates.

Police have since obtained three new warrants for the 64-year-old on charges of indecency with a child. 

Investigators said because of the courage of the first victim, two other victims came forward with similar stories. Then, a fourth student who had been in Campbell’s class two years ago told investigators that he touched her inappropriately while she was sitting on his lap.

Investigators also say additional students have come forward, but no additional charges have been filed.

What they’re saying

Campbell’s attorney Todd Shapiro, who was hired earlier this month, says his client continues to deny all allegations.

Shapiro says he’s fighting to lower Campbell’s bond amount, which sits at $2.5 million dollars. 

“Setting it at $2.5 million says you need to sit in jail, and you need to sit in jail until the case is resolved. That is not what bond is supposed to be about,” Shapiro tells FOX 4’s Peyton Yager.

Zeke Fortenberry, the attorney who filed the lawsuit on behalf of one of the victim’s families, says Campbell is a danger to the community.

“As our young client and all the other young girls in Collin County start back school, the last thing they need to worry about is a child molester being out on bond,” Fortenberry said in a statement.

What’s next

On Aug. 20, a bond hearing to potentially lower Campbell’s bond will take place. The judge for this hearing will be a different one from the last hearing, where Campbell’s bond was not lowered.

The Source

The information in this story comes from the Plano ISD school board agenda, a lawsuit that names Brinker Elementary School Principal Jennifer King, and past news coverage.