A former teacher at a Northwest Side charter school has been arrested, accused of threatening to kill people at the elementary school after failing a breathalyzer test for suspected alcohol use.
San Antonio police arrested Brian Joseph Ciaravino, 50, on March 30. He is charged with making a terroristic threat causing fear of serious bodily injury, a third-degree felony.
Officers responded to BASIS San Antonio Primary’s North Central campus in the 300 block of E. Ramsey Street earlier that day, according to an arrest affidavit. Two staff members said Ciaravino sent them “multiple threatening text messages” that contained “explicit and alarming threats.”
An officer reviewed the following text messages sent from Ciaravino’s phone number to one of the staff members:
The text messages mentioned that he “failed the breathalyzer,” according to the arrest affidavit. Investigators believe he was required to take the breathalyzer test for suspected alcohol use and sent the text messages after failing.
Staff members were “visibly shaken” by the texts, the affidavit says. Administrators implemented safety measures at the school that day.
A spokesperson for the charter school confirmed that Ciaravino was a former employee but did not answer questions on what his role was or how long he worked at the school. A social media post from the school shows he was named teacher of the month in April 2025.
“The individual is a former employee, and we are fully cooperating with law enforcement to support their investigation and the continued safety of our school community,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
Ciaravino was released from the Bexar County jail on April 1 after posting a $50,000 bond. He is on full house arrest and is required to submit to regular drug and alcohol testing as part of his bond conditions, according to court records.
A judge issued a no-contact order prohibiting Ciaravino from contacting the school and its employees.
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.