Arlington police have confirmed that no criminal charges will be filed after an employee at Goodman Elementary School was accused of tying students up with strings and putting tape over their mouths.
The Arlington Independent School District said that on Friday, Sept. 6, it learned of the allegations and "immediately began an investigation and placed the employee on administrative leave."
Arlington ISD officials and campus administrators reportedly notified the parents of the students involved in the alleged incident on the same day.
PARENTS REACT TO THE ALLEGED INCIDENT
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However, some parents claim they received little to no information from the school district and believe everyone should have been notified while their children were not involved.
Lariza Tamayo, a mother whose children attend the elementary school, told NBC 5 she found out about the incident on social media.
“I don't even want to imagine what the kid, the children, and whoever saw, went through and felt," said Tamayo.
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"Me as a parent, I don't even know how I would have reacted, because I feel that that's wrong in general. Like, who in the right mind would do that? I feel that every parent has to know what is going on because what if another teacher saw what this teacher did and thought it was right, and the other class goes through it as well? I feel like all of us should have known."
Another parent, Mariam Perez, said she received no letter or emails about what happened.
"I'm angry and mad because why wouldn't I get an email, at least as a parent, if they're that close to my kid," said Mariam Perez, another parent. "I don't even know what grade it is yet."
The district said in a statement on Monday afternoon, "We appreciate the understanding and patience of our school community and encourage any students or parents with concerns to contact the school administration. "
NO CHARGES FILED BY ARLINGTON POLICE
The Arlington Police Department told NBC 5 that officers had been in contact with Arlington ISD on Monday afternoon regarding the allegations. However, no police report had been filed, and no criminal investigation was initiated.
On Tuesday, authorities said in a news release that after further review of the information and evidence, they determined that no children were injured, no child's movements were ever restricted, no child's breathing was restricted, and no criminal offense took place.
"Therefore, we will not be filing any criminal charges in connection to this incident," the police department said.
Arlington ISD said it is still investigating and working to gather more information. Any parents or students with concerns should contact the school's administration.
