An elementary school teacher at Fort Bend Independent School District (FBISD) was arrested on campus Thursday after being accused of sexually assaulting a child in Brazoria County, according to the district.
Kimberly Masi, a teacher at Leonetti Elementary School, was charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child on Jan. 19, as reported by Click2Houston. She was booked into the Brazoria County Jail and her bond was set at $100,000.
Masi Accused of Having Oral Sex with Student
According to court records, the incident dates back to Jan. 19, 2009. Masi allegedly had oral sex with a 14-year-old boy. The district said the accusations against Kimberly Masi stemmed from a case in Brazoria County where she was accused of having an inappropriate relationship with an Alvin ISD student.
Alvin ISD said in April 2022, its police department received an anonymous tip about the allegations and launched an investigation. Masi was immediately placed on leave. She later resigned. Masi then got a job with Fort Bend ISD.
According to records, Masi has been certified to teach early childhood to fourth-grade students in Texas since May 2003. She's also certified to teach English as a second language to students up to sixth grade.
FBISD Releases Statement, Masi Placed on Administrative Leave
In a statement, FBISD said Masi, who had just begun her employment with FBISD in July 2022, had been placed on administrative leave in the wake of her arrest.
"The district is alarmed and distressed by this disturbing allegation and stands ready to fully cooperate with Brazoria County's criminal investigation. FBISD will thoroughly review and investigate any potentially relevant information our community provides that may be related to the Brazoria case," the statement read. "According to district policy, the teacher has been placed on administrative leave."
"Fort Bend ISD remains committed to doing everything we possibly can to ensure the safety of all our students, and we will continue to take measures and make whatever adjustments are necessary for their well-being."
"Masi began employment with FBISD in July 2022 for the 2022-23 school year. Of course we were not aware of the charge against her." The district said it was not aware of the charge against her and that all educators and staff members are required to complete fingerprinting and a background check.
"The process for hiring teachers includes our review of their background in Department of Public Safety records as well as the Do Not Hire registry via the Texas Education Agency. In addition, our district reviews State Board for Educator Certification records to determine candidates' status for campus assignments. And we check to see if there are any sanctions and/or investigation warnings on file. Lastly, the campus obtains references from previous supervisors."
