From the Irving ISD:
Adron Tennell, substitute teacher at Irving High School, has been arrested for alleged sexual misconduct with an Irving High student, with the incident taking place off campus.
According to Pat Lamb, IISD director of school safety and operations, Tennell was arrested for alleged inappropriate contact between an educator and student and second degree sexual assault. The alleged misconduct took place January 23, and the arrest was made February 4. Prior to the arrest, information was originally submitted to the school resource officer at Irving High – a member of the Irving Police Department. Following the officer’s investigation, warrants were issued for Tennell’s arrest.
The safety and security of Irving ISD students is a top priority, and IISD maintains stringent hiring practices for substitute teachers. According to Robyn Wolters, IISD director of human resources, substitutes are subjected to a four-step process before being allowed to enter the classroom. Those interested in substitute teaching must first submit a formal job application. They are then screened according to Gallup Teacher Insight, campus referral or their listed references. If selected from the screening process, a background check is conducted through the Safe Schools program and they are sent to Texas Department of Public Safety to be fingerprinted.
Substitutes are not permitted to enter the classroom until background check and fingerprint results are returned to IISD, and indicate that the substitute teacher will not present a threat to students.
Tennell passed all portions of the hiring process without indication that he would pose a threat. As part of the investigative process, Tennell has been formally placed on unpaid leave, and has been blocked him from receiving any substitute positions during the investigation.
Irving Police Department will be investigating the incident further. Inquiries into investigation details should be directed to IPD at 972-721-3515.
