SAN ANTONIO – A local teacher and coach was arrested after an underage girl said she had a sexual relationship with the man for eight months while he taught at Lanier High School, according to police.
Jose Eduardo Hernandez, 44, has been arrested on charges of sex assault of a child and improper relationship with a student, according to his arrest affidavit.
He was arrested when a warrant was served at McDowell Middle School in the Hondo Independent School District, where he worked most recently after leaving Lanier.
According to the San Antonio Independent School District, Hernandez left Lanier the end of the 2019 school year — during the time period in which he is accused of having a sexual relationship with a student. He was a social studies teacher and a girl’s softball and basketball coach.
SAISD spokeswoman Leslie Price released the following statement regarding the arrest:
"We learned from a news report today of the arrest of a former employee, who left the District at the end of the 2018-19 school year. Jose Hernandez was with the District for two years, both at Lanier High School.
This news is very disturbing. No concerns about an improper teacher-student relationship were ever brought to the District Human Resources department. We are fully looking into this matter and are contacting the Texas Education Agency to alert them of what has been reported. We want parents to know that the safety and well-being of our students is our number one priority."
Hernandez started at Hondo ISD in August.
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The victim said they had 20 sexual encounters between January 2019 and September 2019, the affidavit states.
The victim told police that Hernandez would have her skip class and take her to a motel room where they would have sex, according to the affidavit.
He would take photos and videos of the sexual encounters on his cell phone, and he would send them to her via Snapchat, the affidavit states.
The victim, who was 16 at the time the assaults began, told police about Hernandez on Jan. 10.
Hondo ISD Superintendent Dr. A’Lann Truelock said in a statement that San Antonio police and deputies with the Medina County Sheriff’s Office arrested Hernandez on Jan. 15.
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Hondo High School Principal Robert Knight told KSAT that the school board accepted his resignation on Wednesday, the day he was booked into the Bexar County Jail.
His bond is set at $80,000. According to his arrest affidavit, he resided in San Antonio.
Truelock said no allegations pertain to students or employees at Hondo ISD.
She said “all district hiring protocols were followed” when Hernandez was in the hiring process, and there were no concerns or indications of wrongdoing.