The Bryan ISD school board hears from the husband of an educator who was assaulted by a student. During the public comment portion of the BISD board’s April 15th meeting, James Long said his wife sustained a traumatic brain injury. Among other things, Long said “Bryan ISD teachers are being assaulted and victimized across the district. And it appears that the district is not only not doing anything about it, but they are actively trying to cover it up.” Long said in October of 2023, his wife “was punched in the head multiple times and had her head slammed against the wall”. Long said since then, the same student “has been allowed to continue to assault teachers, with at least four other teachers having been assaulted and victimized to date.” Long also said “Bryan ISD is using taxpayer money to try to harass and cover up their liability for allowing this to continue to happen”. He said the district is paying a law firm to pressure and harass his wife into not receiving proper medical care. And he said the district paid for a private investigator to follow his wife “in an attempt to prove that she was faking, even though there is video proof of the assault.” After Long completed his comments, BISD board vice president Felicia Benford said “As you know as a board, we are not able to make comments on your statement or your comment. But what I can tell you is that we will get further information and we will get advised by our superintendent on this issue.” After the meeting, BISD superintendent Ginger Carrabine e-mailed the following statement to WTAW News: “Bryan ISD cares for all staff and students and continues to prioritize safety and security. While we cannot disclose student information regarding the matter brought forward by the spouse of an employee, the district has followed all applicable laws and procedures specific to the employee. The staff member referred to in this matter has continued to be fully paid during this period of absence as the district complies with all requirements. Bryan ISD is committed to supporting students and staff while maintaining confidentiality and privacy.” James Long e-mailed the following statement to WTAW News after learning about the superintendent’s statement: “While the superintendents comment that Brittany is receiving pay is accurate it does not tell the true story behind this incident. The district has allowed my wife and several other teachers to be assaulted and has done nothing to help or try to prevent this. In fact they continue to try to cover it up. They are spending taxpayer money in order to harass and intimidate my wife so she either gives up on her medical treatments and comes back to work or they can find a reason to stop paying her. I am scared to imagine how many teachers are being allowed to be assaulted and then left with no support and without proper treatment. I sat through the school board meeting where they spoke about trying to keep good teachers yet they are actively punishing teachers who are hurt while doing their duties. The public deserves to know that they are sending their kids to schools that allow the teachers to be assaulted and scared. They are giving taxpayer money to a district that uses that money not to hire the best teachers possible but to harass and intimidate teachers who were hurt while doing their duties.” A spokeswoman at the Brazos County district attorney’s office tells WTAW News that the student, who was 11 years old at the time of the incident, is currently charged with assault of a public servant. The spokeswoman says the charge could change upon the completion of their ongoing investigation. Click below to hear comments from the April 15, 2024 Bryan ISD school board meeting from James Long, followed by a response from board vice president Felicia Benford.
