Arrested! Teachers Behaving Badly in the Texas Panhandle

If you are an educator, do not have sexual relationships with your students. One more time for the people in the back, if you are an educator, DO NOT HAVE SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR STUDENTS.

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On April 14th, a warrant was issued for the arrest of a former Perryton High School teacher, David Alexander Drew. He is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old female student. An improper relationship between an educator and a student is a second-degree felony in the state of Texas.

Drew surrendered himself to the Ochiltree Sheriff's Department on April 20th at 8:20 am, according to Sheriff Terry Bouchard. He was booked into the Ochiltree Country Jail and released on a $100,000 bond shortly after.

This is far from the first time an educator has been accused of an inappropriate relationship with a student in our area.

Speaking of Perryton, in 2016 a Perryton Junior High School teacher was accused of inappropriate behavior, but no charges were officially filed.

In February 2020 Kevin Ufford, a former girls' track and field coach at Amarillo High School was charged with an improper relationship between an educator and student.

Geofforey Lowry. a former Palo Duro High School teacher,  was indicted by a Potter County Grand Jury in 2020, for an improper relationship between an educator and a student.  He was also arrested for Online Solicitation of a Minor.  He faces charges in Randall County.  The case is still active.

In 2010, a 23-year-old teacher at Canyon ISD  was charged with two counts of improper relationship with a student. She was given eight years' deferred adjudication probation for each charge. She successfully completed the terms.

Heath McLeod, a former Herford High School teacher, was indicted in 2015 by a Hereford Grand Jury on two counts of improper relationship between a teacher and student.

In 2012, John David Bryan, a former River Road ISD and Amarillo High teacher, was charged with six counts of improper relationship with a student. He was given 10 years' deferred adjudication.

In 2021, Clark Inskeep, a  former Austin Middle School teacher, was arrested and charged with 5 counts of Indecency with a child. This case is still active.

In 2017, a former Highland Park ISD teacher, was arrested in 2017 for an improper relationship between an educator and a student.  He was placed on deferred adjudication and granted early termination in 2020.

Julie Ann Moore, a former Sanborn Elementary teacher, was charged with sexual assault of a child in 2011. She was accused of having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old Amarillo High School student and two other AHS students.  She pled guilty in 2013 to sexual assault of a child. She was placed on 10-years Deferred Adjudication.

In 2016, Timothy Mohler, a teacher at Fannin Middle School was under investigation for having inappropriate relationships with students and was on administrative leave. However, during the course of the investigation, Mohler committed suicide and the case was subsequently closed.

It's a long line of teachers over the years. We as a community need to do better.  This is absolutely unacceptable.  I do realize that you never know a wolf in sheep's clothing until they are upon you. We need to be aware and teach our kids to speak up when things are not right, even though they might be threatened. This includes our teenagers. Grooming happens slowly so be aware of any changes in your child.