A former Texas special education teacher is facing a third-degree felony charge after being accused of physically abusing a non-verbal autistic student and administering melatonin gummies without parental consent. Amber Latrelle Reynolds, 48, was witnessed improperly disciplining the 5-year-old during an incident back in September at an Humble ISD elementary school, according to FOX 26 Houston.
The former Humble ISD teacher, who allegedly used force to quickly to drag and pull a student by his arms, was seen by a principal who was conducting an evaluation. The mother of the student later reported finding bruises. Moreover, Reynolds stands accused by two paraprofessionals of suggesting they could to take the student into the bathroom and hit him if he failed to comply with instructions, as per a to KHOU 11 report.
This isn't the first time Reynolds has been the subject of scrutiny over her treatment of special needs students. In 2014, she was accused of a similar pattern of behavior. Stacey Watson, a parent of a former student at another Humble ISD school, told KHOU 11, "This opens so many old wounds ... Humble ISD knew what this teacher was capable of." Watson's son was allegedly physically and verbally abused by Reynolds, leading to a federal lawsuit in 2016 that was ultimately dismissed due to lack of witnesses willing to corroborate the child's accusations.
Reynolds, who has since been released on a $10,000 bond, is no longer employed with the district. Adding to her legal troubles, the Texas Education Agency is actively conducting a review of her professional conduct. She is expected to make her next court appearance on January 10, according to details in the bond agreement provided by KHOU 11.
