A Corsicana elementary school teacher was arrested again Tuesday as he faces six more charges of indecency with a child.
Ramon Santuario-Mendoza, a 3rd grade English Arts teacher at Sam Houston Elementary School in the Corsicana Independent School District, was arrested again Tuesday after he bonded out of jail over the weekend.
The district said an outcry was made by three students two weeks ago, alleging inappropriate touching by Mendoza. Those interviews with students resulted in police asking for an arrest warrant on one indecency with a child charge.
The charges grew to four counts of indecency with a child by April 24; two more were added later that day and his bond was raised to $450,000.
After Mendoza bonded out, he was arrested Tuesday on six more charges.
April 25, one family told NBC 5 they'd previously reported inappropriate touching to the Sam Houston Elementary School principal last school year. Lisa, who asked NBC 5 to use her first name only, says her granddaughter told Lisa her teacher was touching her in a way she didn't like.
"She said because he touches my hair and he rubs my neck and he tells me how pretty and how soft my hair is," recalled Lisa.
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Her granddaughter was eight years old at the time and in Mendoza's 3rd grade class.
Lisa says her son reported the touching to the principal and a school counselor, but the family never heard back and the granddaughter didn't report any more instances of touching.
The touching described by Lisa's granddaughter does not rise to the level of a crime, but Lisa believes the school missed a key warning sign.
"I'm very upset because if they had done something about it then, then maybe it wouldn’t be happening to these children now," Lisa said.
A district spokesperson said she was unaware of a prior touching allegation, but added the district is "investigating all avenues at this time."
The district said there was a prior unrelated accusation last year but couldn't provide additional details. The district said that allegation did not involve inappropriate touching.
Mendoza joined the Corsicana ISD in 2017. He previously worked in Mexia for three years, from the 2014-15 school year through the 2016-17 school year, where he taught kindergarten and 1st grade. The superintendent of the Mexia Independent School District told NBC 5 Thursday that there were never any allegations of misconduct while he was employed in the district. Mexia police also confirmed they never investigated or arrested Mendoza.
In a closed door meeting with families last week, Corsicana ISD police told parents some of the other allegations did not rise to the level of a crime. Indecency with a child charges typically stem from sexual contact of genitals, the anus or breasts of a child. There are no allegations of sexual assault, according to investigators.
Corsicana ISD officials said 14 additional children from the 3rd and 4th grades are scheduled for forensic interviews with the Navarro County Children's Advocacy Center to determine if additional charges are appropriate.
Mendoza is on administrative leave during the investigation. The Corsicana ISD said the school board may make a decision about Mendoza's contract the next time it meets on May 6.
NBC 5's Diana Zoga contributed to this report.
