Irene Esther Stokes (Montgomery, Texas), 61, first-grade teacher at Northwest Preparatory Academy, Humble, Texas, "faces a felony charge for allegedly fondling a female student in her classroom" Houston Chronicle: Humble first grader claims teacher sent kids out, fondled her (Apr 16 2013) The student, 7, told police that Stokes, her first-grade teacher at Northwest Preparatory Academy, sent all of the students out of the classroom and touched her on her "private part" on the outside of her clothes on March 1, according to a criminal complaint filed in the case. "The complainant (victim) stated that she told the defendant to stop at which time the defendant told her to get out of the classroom," the complaint states. The teacher "made her stand outside of the classroom in the hallway and refused to allow her to eat lunch and take a test." The girl's assertion was supported by school records. Paul A. Hardin, principal of the academy at 600 Charles St., told investigators that a cafeteria printout showed that the girl ate breakfast on March 1, but did not eat lunch that day. Tags:
My Fox Houston: Humble private school teacher charged in indecency with a child case (Apr 16 2013) A teacher at an Humble private school is accused of fondling one of her first grade students, according to a probable cause document filed against her. Irene Esther Stokes, 61, is charged with indecency with a child ... Stokes, a Montgomery resident, failed a polygraph examination conducted by Humble police. She told an Humble officer that she did not touch black students because of her personal prejudice against them.
ABC Local KTRK: Teacher charged with indecency offers unusual denial (Apr 16 2013) [Irene Esther] Stokes failed a polygraph test, court documents state, but she denied ever being alone with the girl or touching the student on any part of her body. Stokes reportedly told police that she doesn't like to touch black students due to her prejudice. She added that she doesn't like the student in question and has very little to no interaction with her. School officials say Stokes was immediately placed on administrative leave when the complaint was received while the matter was investigated. She has since been fired.
KHOU: Humble teacher accused of fondling student denies allegation with claim she's prejudiced (Apr 16 2013) The first grader told investigators that Irene Esther Stokes sent all the other students out of the classroom and then touched her private parts outside of her clothes. The girl said when she told Stokes to stop, Stokes told her to get out of the classroom, according to court records. The girl told investigators that Stokes made her stand out in the hallway outside of the class and then refused to allow her to eat lunch or take a test. The child’s mother contacted school officials and was able to confirm that the girl did not eat lunch at school that day. Stokes denied the allegations and said "she doesn’t like to touch the black students because she was prejudiced,” according to court records. Stokes also told investigators that she "doesn’t like the student and has little to no interaction with her."
Click 2 Houston: Accused teacher uses prejudice as defense (Apr 16 2013) A first-grade teacher in Humble accused of inappropriately touching one of her students is using her own prejudice as a defense, court records show. Irene Esther Stokes, 61, was arrested last Thursday and charged with indecency with a child following allegations that she touched the private area of a 7-year-old girl student at Northwest Prep Academy in Humble.
The Tribune: Humble charter school teacher charged with molestation (Apr 16 2013) According to police, the 7-year-old victim told her mother that Stokes ordered all of the students out of the classroom except for the victim that day and that her teacher touched her inappropriately over her clothing, Humble police reported. Court records state that the Stokes kicked the victim out of the classroom and refused to let her eat lunch because the victim the told her to stop touching her. Court documents show that Stokes, of Montgomery, allegedly told police she would not have molested the child because she "doesn't like to touch the black students because she was prejudice[d]."
UK Daily Mail: Racist teacher denies fondling six-year-old student because she says she doesn't even like to touch black children on the hand (Apr 17 2013) Irene Ester Stokes has been charged with indecency with a child She denies it and claims she doesn't like touching or hugging black people Following an internal investigation, Stoke no longer works at Northwest Prep Academy
The Daily Caller: Teacher accused of fondling student says she’s too racist to be guilty (Apr 17 2013) Esther Irene Stokes, a 61-year-old Texas school teacher who has been accused of molesting a 7-year-old girl, says it’s impossible because she “doesn’t like black students because she was prejudiced.” The student alleges that Stokes touched her “private part” on the outside of her clothes, the Houston Chronicle reports. Despite failing a polygraph, Stokes has responded to the charges by saying she is too racist to want to touch a black student, sexually or otherwise ...
See KPRC article above for the original of these three articles ... KPLC TV: Teacher charged with indecency, fired from school (Apr 17 2013) WCSH 6: Teacher charged with indecency (Apr 17 2013) KSDK: Irene Stokes accused of inappropriately touching one of her students (Apr 17 2013) KSN: Teacher charged with indecency (Apr 17 2013)
New York Daily News: Texas teacher denies molesting girl, 6: Says she’s too racist to touch black people (Apr 18 2013) A self-confessed racist teacher has denied fondling a 6-year-old student saying she doesn't like to touch black people even if only on the hand. Irene Esther Stokes, 61, is accused of molesting the "private parts" of the first-grade girl at Northwest Prep Academy in Humble, Texas, on March 1. Court documents allege Stokes told all her children, apart from one, to leave her classroom — and then put her hand on the outside of the girl's clothes on her "vaginal area." The girl asked her to stop — and Stokes ordered her to leave the room. She then allegedly made her stand in a hallway and banned her from having lunch.
Your Houston News: Humble charter school teacher accused of allegedly molesting student (Apr 18 2013) “The defendant [Irene Esther Stokes] separated the child from the rest of the class, asking her to stay behind at recess time,” said Humble PD Detective E. Squier, citing the original report. “The teacher allegedly touched the girls through clothes in an appropriate manner. The girl said she told the teacher not to do that and the teacher became angry. She allegedly did not let the girl eat lunch that day and was angry at the student all day.”
This school has had other issues recently (hat tip Daily Kos) ... KHOU: Police: 3 charged with felony injury to 7th grader who wanted to use the bathroom (Mar 6 2013) The three staff members at Northwest Preparatory Charter School now facing Felony Injury to a Child charges are 25-year-old Laurence Grigsby, 32-year-old Marcus Mitchell and 36-year-old Aisha Mercer. Police say it started in a classroom when the 13-year-old female victim asked to go to the restroom. She was told no....Humble police have responded to the school 23 times this year.
NBC 33 TV: A first-grade teacher is accused of inappropriately touching one of her students (Apr 20 2013) According to court documents, the first grader told her mother that her teacher, [Irene Esther] Stokes ordered all the other kids out of the classroom, and once they were alone, the first grader claims Stokes touched her private area over her clothes, investigators said. The student claims when asking Stokes to stop, she was kicked out of the classroom.