A teacher at KIPP Houston High School has been fired and charged with multiple offenses following accusations from students of inappropriate conduct. Preston Edmond Zimmerman, 39, faces two counts of indecency with a child, four counts of improper relationship with a student, and two counts of sexual performance by a child. Click2Houston reports that at least four students have accused Zimmerman of touching them inappropriately between September and October of this year.
With details emerging of the allegations, one specific incident involved Zimmerman supposedly requesting a 16-year-old student's assistance with papers before beginning to touch him in a way that was described as improper. Taking immediate action upon learning of the allegations, KIPP Texas Public Schools placed Zimmerman on administrative leave, followed by termination, and issued a ban from all school properties. While not yet arrested, the Houston Police Department (HPD) is expected to detain Zimmerman, having conducted a comprehensive investigation according to ABC13 Eyewitness News.
In their formal response, KIPP Texas Public Schools expressed a "zero tolerance for any staff member who brings harm to our students." Their statement, which detailed the steps taken in response to the allegations, underscored a commitment to providing a secure learning environment and to fully cooperating with law enforcement and legal representatives to advocate for grave consequences through the criminal justice system. KIPP's remarks reflect an institution in the throes of reckoning, deeply saddened and angered by the alleged actions of their former employee.
Records uncovered by Eyewitness News indicate that Zimmerman while teaching Human Body Systems at the record-high school at the time of the purported assaults, extended an offer to pay a 16-year-old student $15 for sexual acts. Further complicating Zimmerman's history, he was dismissed from a previous role at a nonprofit in December 2023 over allegations of sexual harassment, leading to a federal lawsuit that was later dismissed.
