Three employees at Tyler High School in Texas have been arrested for allegedly abusing a student with Down syndrome. Special education teacher Krystina Rena Haas, 35; paraprofessionals Prisicilla Gutierrez, 22; and June Tryon, 57, were accused of taping the hands of the student together and forcing him to walk in circles for over four hours while cursing at him.
The disturbing incident, which was captured on surveillance footage on March 12, lasted about four hours and 15 minutes. Haas justified the abuse by saying that it wouldn’t hurt the student to stand or walk for that long, claiming that they were not “precious babies” but teenagers.
The student, who was sent to a life skills room, was instructed to walk in circles. Haas then instructed Tryon to get tape, and with Gutierrez’s help, the student’s hands were bound together with packing tape. The student was then forced to continue walking in circles for another 30 minutes before being made to stand in a corner for over an hour.
The boy’s grandmother reported the incident to the school district after noticing bruises and emotional distress. Haas defended her actions, stating that the student was punished for flipping her off and not completing his work. She claimed that taping the student’s hands was a common practice, although it had only happened once before.
The three employees were charged with injury to a child, elderly individual, or disabled individual and were fired from the school district following their arrests. The Tyler Independent School District issued a statement, emphasizing their commitment to transparency and student safety.
The district launched an internal investigation, notified Child Protective Services, and cooperated with law enforcement. While the incident did not involve sexual acts or severe bodily harm, the district took the allegations seriously and took immediate action to address the situation.
