MariBeth Thomas, right, stands with her attorneys, Victoria Neave, center, and Debbie Sanchez. Thomas believes Prosper was more concerned about protecting its image than protecting a student who alleged that a teacher engaged in sexual misconduct.
Reporting by Dallas Morning News staff writer Jennifer Emily makes clear how far Wright was willing to go to tamp down allegations of a teacher's sexual misconduct — even to the point of admonishing a whistle-blower who alerted local police. Prosper ISD owes an explanation to students, faculty and parents and must pledge nothing short of strict law enforcement whenever a teacher makes sexually suggestive advances on a student.
Former Prosper teacher MariBeth Thomas alerted police in March after a female student, who was a junior at the time, confided in her about a teacher's inappropriate behavior.
Thomas quoted the student as saying that a male teacher had waited until other students had left a tutoring session. He sidled up close, touched the girl's thigh and told her how much he liked her. The girl responded: "Well, I like you too. I like all my teachers."
The teacher wrote on the board, "No, I like you." He took her hand and wiped the words off the board. The girl left the room.
The teacher was escorted from campus, only to return later. Thomas, on the other hand, was treated as the wrongdoer for going to Prosper police instead of letting the district handle the matter internally and quietly.
Thomas says she was trying to do the right thing. Moreover, Texas law requires it. "Reporting suspected child abuse to your principal, school counselor or superintendent will NOT satisfy your obligation under this law," the state attorney general's office says. "Local school district policy cannot conflict with or supersede the state law requiring you to report child abuse to a law enforcement agency" or the Department of Family Protective Services.
Some might try to write this off as a he-said, she-said account, except that Wright's remarks during the March meeting were recorded, including his dressing down of Thomas for risking unwanted public scrutiny. To minimize fallout, Prosper ISD Police Chief Chad Vessels suggested during the meeting that Thomas amend her local police report.
The district's assistant superintendent, Michael Goddard, doubled down on wrong by defending Wright. Thomas says she was hounded out of her job.
Try as they might to put a public-relations spin on this, Prosper school officials handled this case about as badly as they could. Two priorities must go far ahead of the quest for good optics: protecting children, and making sure the law is followed.
A principal's PR
"I'm all about the team. I'm all about PR and how this high school looks, and we're going to take care of this, young lady, and we're going to do it in a confidential manner to protect her and all parties that are involved. That's why we have an internal police department to take care of these serious situations."
Prosper High School Principal Greg Wright, in a recorded meeting in which he admonished teacher MariBeth Thomas for alerting local police to another teacher's alleged sexual misconduct
Comment: A person who is charged with the well-being of children only seeks to protect his and the school's image at their expense. Anyone with a shred of conscience would have reported the predatory teacher immediately, rather than covering up the situation.
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