Authorities in Texas have arrested three former elementary school staff members accused of restraining and injuring a special needs student while employed at Watts Elementary School, according to police and local reports. Teacher Jessica Longo and paraprofessionals Julia Cantu and Veronica Guerra-Ulrich were arrested Monday, December 29, following an investigation by the Cibolo Police Department.
Police confirmed the alleged misconduct occurred while all three women were working at the school. Longo and Guerra-Ulrich were charged with felony unlawful restraint, while Cantu faces a felony charge of injury to a child. Authorities have not released the women’s ages or detailed specifics of the alleged incidents.
While investigators have remained tight-lipped, parents of affected students have begun to speak publicly. Chelsie Lukasik, whose child with special needs was enrolled in the classroom led by the three women, told KSAT the alleged abuse has had lasting effects on her son.
“I want people to realize you can’t just hurt children,” Lukasik said. “She would scream at him, scream in his face, hit him in the head, hit him on the face, so we’re trying to help pursue action about that.”
Lukasik said her son now reacts negatively when he hears Cantu’s name or sees her photo. She also described what another family reported to her. “Another friend of mine, her son is more severe, and he was ripped out of his chair by his arm by one of the teachers that were taken into custody,” she said.
Police confirmed that arrest warrants were obtained after investigators interviewed school administrators and reviewed security camera footage from inside the school. Officials have not clarified how long the alleged behavior may have gone on or whether additional students were affected.
Other parents echoed similar concerns. Billy Underwood told KSAT that his daughter, now in middle school, did not feel safe when she attended Watts Elementary. “There are a lot of kids that don’t like Watts because they don’t feel safe at Watts,” he said. Another parent, Rachel Nicholas, said she was aware of other alleged assaults involving students at the school.
Following the arrests, Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD issued a statement saying the district became aware of the misconduct on December 17 and took immediate action.
“The conduct under investigation is unacceptable and not aligned with the district’s values,” the statement read, adding that reports were filed with the Texas Department of Child Protective Services and the Texas Education Agency.
All three former employees have since posted bond and were released. Police say the investigation remains active and additional charges have not been ruled out.
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