In its first public meeting after the arrest of a teacher, the Onalaska school board heard public comments Monday from Emily Wilson, a teacher and mother in the district.
Jerry Michael Cobb, 47, was arrested and booked into the Angelina County Jail last week following warrants on two counts of misdemeanor Class A assault and one count of felony possession of child pornography.
Agencies that assisted the Onalaska Police Department were SHSU Police, Polk County District Attorney’s Office, Childrenz Haven and the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office. According to police, the pornographic images found were not of local students.
The investigation began Feb. 11, when the Onalaska Police Department was notified of an incident and interviewed several adults and juveniles, according to a social media post by Chief Byron Dunaway.
Wilson was the lone speaker in Monday’s emergency meeting. She has been a part of the district since 2016. Wilson is an art teacher at the elementary and said she has taught the children of board members. Her husband is also a teacher in the district.
“My son, as you all know or may not know, is level three autistic,” she told the board during public comments. “I just want you to know that on Oct. 29 when Mr. Cobb became my son’s teacher, his behavior got so out of control that my own daughter called CPS on us to see what kind of abuse was going on with our child.
“I never in a million years imagined that you guys might put someone who could potentially hurt my child in his classroom. Seeing the comments online and having a principal make it look like the parent was at fault when I asked, ‘What’s the deal with Mr. Cobb?’ I don’t appreciate it. I’m really hurt by this, because this is my community and my district.
“I feel like there’s been a really detrimental thing against my son this year. I feel like my child was not provided a safe environment. I’m really upset by this, and I hope we are looking at the life skills situation and our special ed director and anybody else that is connected to this decision to put someone who already had allegations from previous districts into a classroom with children you knew were nonverbal. I want you to know that is a failure in trust for me.”
In an interview with the Enterprise following the meeting, Wilson continued by saying the district did not handle the situation well.
“I was not aware of this until recently, but (Cobb) was put on leave a second time. I was not aware that there were allegations prior to this. A sixth-grader made a complaint about him last year. He was put on leave, apparently.”
Wilson said she substitute taught in Cobb’s sixth grade class last year, saying she did not get a “vibe” that he was someone dangerous around children, calling him a “good ol’ boy type.”
Wilson said Cobb was later placed into the life skills class, and that there has been around six teachers instructing the class. She said within a month of Cobb becoming her son’s teacher, Wilson’s own daughter called CPS because Wilson’s son increasingly got out of control.
The teacher said her daughter called CPS thinking they would get the family resources fastest. CPS reportedly worked the case for three months, investigating the family and the school.
“It seemed to me like they kept giving the guy the benefit of the doubt,” Wilson said. “I’m sorry, but when multiple people say, and then a teacher was the one that saw him being inappropriate with someone and she reported him — I don’t know what it was that she saw or didn’t see.”
Feb. 4, she said, was the last time Cobb was in her son’s class. According to Wilson, life skills classes are where special education students learn, and many in the class are nonverbal.
“Maybe that’s why they put him in there, because there was other adults, but then why would you let him take my child somewhere alone?”
An app let Wilson know that Cobb was alone with her child, where, among other comments, Cobb called the child “handsome.”
“I don’t know if the man did anything to my kid or not. All I know is the behaviors (of her child have changed). I’ve already raised one kid all the way up, and I’ve never been investigated by CPS until this dude became my kid’s teacher. Then, my child was so out of control.”
Cobb is still employed with the school, yet has been on administrative leave since February, as the investigation continues.
There was an initial complaint on Cobb and subsequent investigation, where Cobb received a Class C misdemeanor. After a police investigation concluded, Cobb was able to return.
Onalaska ISD Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Fraga said the school had video of the first complaint and could see exactly what Cobb had done.
“The nature of what he actually did, and I realize it resulted in a Class C misdemeanor, but the actual actions he did could be seen on video in the cafeteria in front of other kids and teachers,” he said. “There was no concern at that time.”
Fraga said the actions that occurred in the first complaint were in no way sexual in nature.
“We are bound by employment contract law,” Fraga said of the district’s actions regarding Cobb. “The property rights that exist with a contract require us to go through certain processes and procedures before anything can happen. Chapter 21 of the Texas Education Code details teacher’s contract rights. There is a whole section on investigations and non-renewals and terminations. It is a lengthy legal process, and everything has to be followed in order for districts to do what they are supposed to according to the law.”
A Class C misdemeanor assault charge involves intentionally causing offensive physical contact or threatening imminent bodily injury without causing physical pain or injury.
“If any kid would have been endangered, he would have been in jail, not back in the school,” Fraga said. “I have not seen or heard or been given documentation of any kind from any district or any employee of another district that deals with him assaulting or inappropriate touch.”
Through an investigation, Fraga said the district did learn that Cobb made inappropriate comments while employed elsewhere. However, that investigation took place after Cobb’s employment at Onalaska began.
Cobb was placed under investigation for the second time in February when a teacher reported his actions. Once that report took place, Cobb was again put on leave and Child Protective Services was contacted. That case is still active and at the Polk County District Attorney’s Office.
