ILTexas releases new details on allegations of sexual assault against former teacher

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – Late Friday, ILTexas released a three-page statement with updated details on the sexual assault case involving a former teacher on the College Station campus.

Court documents obtained by KBTX show that 46-year-old Jose Adrian Hernandez Grimaldo of Seagoville is accused of attacking a 12-year-old girl in a restroom and threatening her with violence if she told anyone.

Online records currently indicate that Hernandez Grimaldo remains in custody in Brazos County and is accused of sexually abusing a student.

KBTX has submitted records requests to the College Station Police Department regarding this case. Our requests have been received by the city and are currently being reviewed.

ILTexas provided the following timeline of Friday night’s events involving Hernandez Grimaldo:

Employment and visa processing

According to school officials, Hernandez Grimaldo joined ILTexas College Station K-8 on August 1, 2022. He underwent a thorough background check, which the school says is standard for all new hires, and was cleared for employment. As a J-1 teacher in the United States, Hernandez Grimaldo also required an additional security clearance from the Department of Homeland Security prior to his hire to ensure visa compliance.

Allegations and investigations by school officials

According to school officials, a parent emailed the ILTexas principal at 7:58 a.m. on August 31, 2022, claiming her child had bruising on the inside of his arm caused by a teacher. The principal responded to the parent at 9:42 a.m., saying, “I’ll call you now, yes ma’am.”

The school said the incident was reported to the Department of Family and Protective Services at 12:38 p.m. on September 2, 2022, and College Station police were also notified. Hernandez Grimaldo was placed on administrative leave on September 7, 2022.

According to school officials, the investigation, which was completed on October 4, 2022, found that Hernandez Grimaldo had used his hands to lift a student off the ground after an altercation with another student. According to school officials, Hernandez Grimaldo received a reprimand at the direction of the superintendent, instructing him to “not place his hands on a student at any time as a change of course of action.” The school says he was reinstated as a classroom teacher on October 4, 2022.

On February 13, 2023, the ILTexas College Station K-8 school administration received a complaint that Hernandez Grimaldo touched a student on the thigh, braided another student’s hair, and touched another student’s belly button, according to school officials.

School officials say reports were filed with College Station Police and the Department of Family and Protective Services that same day. An investigation began on February 14, 2023, during which school officials stated Hernandez Grimaldo was placed on administrative leave and did not return to ILTexas College Station K-8.

After interviewing 18 students, school officials said ILTexas’ investigation could not confirm allegations of inappropriate touching, braiding hair or touching a student’s belly button.

According to school officials, on March 22, 2023, the superintendent directed that Hernandez Grimaldo could either resign immediately or be terminated for violating a previous directive from the October 4, 2022 letter of reprimand, which instructed him to “refrain from physically interacting with students in the future in an attempt to get them to change sides.” They say Hernandez Grimaldo received a termination on March 24, 2023, and the investigation was officially closed on March 28, 2023.

Appeal overturns Hernandez Grimaldo’s dismissal

According to the statement, Hernandez Grimaldo filed a Level III grievance with ILTexas’ Administrative Appeals Board on May 15, 2023, to contest his termination. This resulted in a three-member panel, including ILTexas’ Chief of Staff, a member of the human resources team, and an ILTexas Assistant Principal, convening for an appeal hearing on May 23, 2023. The school’s administration announced on May 24, 2023, that the termination was overturned.

As part of the decision, Hernandez Grimaldo was placed on probation for the 2023-2024 school year and offered a teaching position at ILTexas Lancaster K-8, where he will begin work on August 1, 2023.

School responds to parents’ allegations

According to school officials, on September 27, 2023, at 12:37 p.m., a parent emailed the ILTexas College Station K-8 principal requesting a conversation about his former sixth-grader’s teacher from the 2022-2023 school year. Later that same day, the statement says, the principal contacted the parent, who accused him of inappropriate sexual interactions between his student and Hernandez Grimaldo. They say the principal filed a mandatory report with the Department of Family and Protective Services on September 27, 2023, at 8:24 p.m.

During that process, school officials said, College Station police contacted the principal to inform him of an ongoing investigation into a report of sexual abuse between the former sixth-grader and Hernandez Grimaldo. At 8:34 p.m., the principal reported the parent allegations, the College Station police notification, and the DFPS report to the Houston office and the assistant superintendent of schools at ILTexas headquarters. The statement went on to say that the alleged incident is believed to have occurred in January or February 2023, which was the first time ILTexas learned of any sexual abuse allegations.

The school says that same day, ILTexas initiated a collaborative effort with College Station Police and the assigned detective to protect the integrity of the criminal investigation. Subsequently, on October 31, 2023, College Station Police requested all records related to Hernandez Grimaldo. The school says that ILTexas then immediately placed him on leave from ILTexas Lancaster K-8.

According to school officials, on November 10, 2023, after receiving the subpoena and clearance from the College Station Police Department detective that an internal investigation by ILTexas would not hinder their ongoing investigation, ILTexas launched its own investigation into the allegations on November 14, 2023.

ILTexas investigation concludes: IL Texas says allegations are unfounded

On January 3, 2024, ILTexas stated that the investigation was complete and the allegations of sexual assault could not be substantiated. According to the investigation’s findings, “during the January-February 2023 time period, the student was not assigned to Eagle Academy until February 3, 2023. The student did not attend Eagle Academy on that date because she had already completed her work previously and was not required to attend.”

It should be noted that video recordings are only stored for a period of 30 days, so the investigation that began on November 14, 2023 was unable to review footage from the time of the alleged incident. As a result, Hernandez Grimaldo was reinstated as a teacher at ILTexas Lancaster K-8 on January 3, 2024.

ILTexas Actions Following Hernandez Grimaldo’s Arrest

According to ILTexas officials, they received a report of Hernandez Grimaldo’s arrest on May 21, 2024, which was subsequently confirmed by the College Station Police Department. As a result of the arrest, Hernandez Grimaldo was released from ILTexas Lancaster K-8 on May 24, 2024.

Clarifying communication and reviewing the protocol

On May 24, 2024, ILTexas Communications sent two messages to families, according to school officials. One was sent to families at ILTexas Lancaster K-8, and a similar message was sent to families at ILTexas College Station K-8. The message stated, “At this time, we have no reason to believe there is any connection between the arrest and our students or campus, but we will be sure to contact you if that changes,” said Principal Zachary Bolzan in his email to parents. ILTexas officials clarified that while that statement was accurate for the ILTexas Lancaster K-8 campus, it was incorrect for ILTexas College Station K-8. They acknowledged this discrepancy as an error by ILTexas Communications and noted that the message to ILTexas College Station K-8 should have been revised to better reflect the situation.

ILTexas stated that the company is currently reviewing its communication protocols to ensure the most transparent communication with families possible, while respecting employee rights and legal restrictions that protect the integrity of any ongoing criminal investigation.

ILTexas officials concluded their statement by emphasizing, “Any further questions regarding this investigation should be directed to the College Station Police Department. As I mentioned in my message yesterday, I want to ensure that justice is served in this case.”

The full press release from IL Texas can be viewed below.

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