Fort Worth-area teacher accused of having sexual contact with 7-year-old girl in 2005
An elementary teacher in the Hurst-Euless-Bedford school district faces a charge of indecency with a child related to an incident in 2005 at Grapevine Faith Christian School, Grapevine police said.
A woman came forward in late 2019 and reported that Jeffrey Brooks made sexual contact in 2005, when she was 7 years old, at the Grapevine private school.
The woman made the report after learning Brooks was working as a teacher at South Euless Elementary in Euless, Grapevine police said. The school is in the Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District.
An arrest warrant was issued for Brooks, 55, of Euless, and he surrendered to authorities on Tuesday.
Brooks was charged on Thursday with indecency/fondling, according to Tarrant County criminal court records.
Brooks was a music teacher at Grapevine Faith from 2001 to 2005, according to school officials.
“The news of an alleged incident that occurred on our campus between Mr. Brooks and a young student in 2005 grieves us,” said Beth Keeton, a spokeswoman for Grapevine Faith Christian School, in an email to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “Our hearts hurt for the student involved and the student’s family.”
Keeton said the school is cooperating with Grapevine police, and urged anyone who has information related to the incident to immediately contact Grapevine police.
HEB school officials placed Brooks, a music teacher at South Euless Elementary, on leave. He has worked for the district 14 years, school officials said.
“An extensive criminal history check was conducted, the applicant’s State Board of Educator Certificate status was reviewed to ensure there were no sanctions or inscriptions on his certificate, and a comprehensive reference check was conducted, as we do with all candidates being considered for employment,” said Deanne Hullender, a spokeswoman for the HEB school district, in a Thursday email. “HEB ISD will not make any decisions regarding Mr. Brook’s future employment until the investigation is completed.”
HEB school officials noted the girl was not an HEB student and there had been no allegations against Brooks since his employment in the district.
An arrest warrant written by Grapevine Detective Pedro Soltero gave this account of the 2005 incident:
The now 23-year-old woman told Soltero she made the outcry in November after going through therapy and learning Brooks was teaching at another school.
She was in the second grade in 2005 at Grapevine Faith Christian School and she recalled having a private piano lesson with Brooks.
Brooks asked her if she knew what a penis and a vagina were, according to the warrant. Brooks pointed to his genitals and touched hers over her clothes, she said. He seemed “more jolly” as he talked about their private parts.
At some point, Brooks is accused of committing a sex act on her.
The woman remembered being “really freaked out” by the conversation and described Brooks of being “cutesy” during their talk.
She recalled walking out of the classroom and feeling “dirty.”
After the incident, the woman’s mother remembered she dropped her daughter off at school and she walked the opposite direction of Brooks. When her mother later asked why she did that, the girl said “she had bad thoughts when it comes to Jeff,” and pointed to her vagina, according to the warrant.
Brooks was free Thursday after posting $25,000 bond shortly after his arrest.
The Euless man could not be reached Thursday for comment.
No other allegations have been made against Brooks.
But Grapevine police said any parent who believes their child could be a victim should contact authorities.
This story was originally published January 30, 2020 at 10:40 AM.
