MILLSAP, Texas — Officials are investigating after a Parker County mother alleged her son, who has autism and is nonverbal, experienced “physical, mental and verbal abuse” from two school staff members.
Carissa Cornelius, a parent in Millsap ISD in Parker County, shared the allegations in a post on Facebook Monday.
The first time Cornelius saw the video of her son Alex reportedly being abused at school, it sent her on an emotional rollercoaster, leaving her speechless.
“I was just in shock,” said Cornelius. “I have no other words for it. Disbelief. I didn’t believe that was my child in the video.”
The video she shared in the post appears to show a staff member slapping at a student, though it’s unclear if the staff member made contact with the student before that staff member left the room. Another staff member on the video appeared to throw something at the same student.
WFAA decided to blur their faces because they have not been charged with a crime. Alex’s mother says the video also shows how it impacts her son.
“At the end of the video, if you look, you can see his lip start quivering. That broke his heart,” Cornelius said.
This is a long read but please take the time to read it.
Justice for alex and all special education students: A call for accountability from MISD
I am the voice for my son Alex who has autism and is nonverbal. Recently he endured unimaginable physical, mental and verbal abuse by two teachers at millsap elementary. This has left me heartbroken, outraged and fearful for his safety in a place that should be his safe space. This occurred February 18th. I was not noticed of anything in til February 28th. When the superintendant did finally call me all she said is that there was an incident that was being investigated in his class but she was unable to tell me If my son was involved or even what had happened. Here we are March 10th and I finally got answers after threatening to go to Fox 4 news. In this video below you can see a small glimpse into the abuse my son endured on a daily basis. I was also informed my son was given a shower without my concent and the teachers have made inappropriate comments about my sons genitalia in front of other staff and students. They have called him names such as a**hole, motherf**ker and many other things.
I have so many questions:
Paxton Bean and Jennifer Dale how could you do this to my son? What could he have possibly done to make you so angry that you would threaten him, assault him, embarras him infront of his classmates and make him stand in the hall alone for several minutes alone. You know he is 10 years old has autism and is nonverbal. He can’t speak for himself BUT I SURE CAN!! HOW MANY OTHER TIMES DID YOU TREAT HIM LIKE THIS BEFORE YOU WERE CAUGHT?Th the superintendant:
Why was it ok for you to wait 21 days to inform a parent that their child was assaulted?I had the right to know. I had the right to pull my son out of school. I had the right to get him not only medical attention but also psychological help after enduring this for who knows how long.
Millsap isd failed my child!!I am coming here to ask for the publics help. These children especially those with disabilities deserve better. Alex deserved better. My son deserves justice.
Please share this post. Please raise your voice for the children who can’t speak for themselves. All children should be safe at school.
Parents if you have similar stories or concerns about your children please share them here. Let’s come together and make it known that this kind of behavior is unacceptable.#JusticeForAlex. #EndAbuseInSchools #SpecialEducationMatters #ProtectOurChildren!
Posted by Carissa Kozak on Monday, March 10, 2025
Alex’s grandfather Mark Allen fought back tears, saying Alex is just 10 years old and that they were depending on the school to be supportive while he was in their care.
“He is non-verbal. He is autistic. He is on the spectrum. He has a developmental delay disorder,” Allen said. “He has developed to about a 3-year-old.”
Cornelius said that the incident happened on Feb. 18, but she wasn’t notified about it until Feb. 28.
She also believes the school obtained the video the day after the incident. Either way, Cornelius said that since Alex can be seen in the video, she believes the school should have notified her immediately.
“They waited,” Cornelius said. “It took 21 days for me to find out what had finally happened to him.”
In a statement, Millsap ISD said the district is “aware of allegations involving teacher misconduct in a special education classroom at Millsap Elementary School,” and the educators involved “were immediately placed on administrative leave, they never returned to the classroom, and they are no longer employed by the District.”
“The District reported the incident to local law enforcement, Child Protective Services (CPS), and the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC). To ensure a thorough, prompt and unbiased investigation, the District utilized an outside investigator to investigate the allegations,” the statement continued.
The District is aware of allegations regarding teacher misconduct in a special education classroom at Millsap Elementary…
Posted by Millsap ISD on Tuesday, March 11, 2025
WFAA reached out to the two educators in the video. They have not responded to our calls.
The district said the investigation expanded to include campus administration at the recommendation of the outside investigator, and the school’s principal and assistant principal were placed on administrative leave while the investigation is ongoing.
“The District will continue to cooperate with and support the investigations being conducted by local law enforcement, CPS, and SBEC. In addition, we are committed to keeping parents informed while respecting the various investigations and adhering to the legal rights of the educator’s involved,” the district’s statement continued.
On Wednesday, State Board of Education Member Brandon Hall called on Millsap ISD Superintendent Dr. Edie Martin to resign after allegations were made public that she mishandled the case involving Cornelius’ son, Alex.
“When Superintendent Martin failed to notify Carissa Kozak that her child was the subject of an abuse investigation, she violated the rights of the parent,” said Hall. “I am calling on Edie Martin to resign expeditiously so the Millsap ISD Board of Trustees can appoint an interim superintendent who will ensure student safety.”
The Parker County Sheriff’s Office also confirmed an active investigation into the incident but declined to release further details publicly because the case involves a juvenile.
Weatherford ISD confirmed to WFAA that a former staff member in their district was involved in the incident in Millsap ISD.
“Weatherford ISD is aware of the deeply concerning video circulating from another school district. One of the individuals involved, Paxton Bean, was employed in our district at Crockett Elementary for a 2-day period (March 7 and March 10) and is no longer employed by the Weatherford ISD,” Weatherford ISD said in a statement. “The safety and well-being of our students is our top priority, and we are committed to upholding the highest standards of care and professionalism in our schools.”
Since posting the video on social media, Cornelius says she has heard from parents across the country who also have children with special needs.
“This is a problem everywhere and it needs to be addressed,” she said.
The family is demanding justice and has made a list of ways to make school safer for students like him.
“We’d like to see parent accessible video cameras in all special education classes in Texas,” Allen said.