May 15, 2008 -
Allen Cole, 34, a government teacher at Travis High School, was arrested on the charge of having "an improper relationship" with an 18-year-old student at the school.
The charge is a 2nd degree felony. [Sexual relationships between a teacher and a student in Texas is illegal even if the student is the age of consent.]
Another teacher notified police about the inappropriate relationship between Cole and the student. Cole resigned Tuesday.
Full Name: Allen James Cole
Austin Independent School District released information about the criminal histories of educators in the district on Wednesday. With 17 employees, Travis High School has the highest number of certified educators with a criminal history.
But while Travis High School may top the list of schools, there is one place where more people with a criminal history work, The Carruth Administration Center, or AISD Headquarters. Some 18 people with a criminal history work inside the heart of this school district.KVUE News filed a Freedom of Information request for the information, and the the Texas Attorney General directed Austin ISD to release more information about the criminal histories of local teachers.
The news is not much better for middle schools. Fourteen of the 18 schools employ teachers with a criminal history. At Burnet Middle School, five teachers have a criminal history.
May 13 - Background checks show some AISD teachers with criminal histories
The district disclosed that the Texas Department of Public Safety searched 7243 records district-wide for arrests and or convictions. 36 of those records indicated a felony, and, in all, 637 records indicated a criminal history.
With fewer than half the criminal histories reported, 50 of 77 schools make this list.
