By V. Hugh Lewis II, Jefferson Jimplecute
Bulldog football passing coordinator and Head Boys Track and Field Coach Roderick Hopes is sidelined for the foreseeable future after being arrested following an investigation that stemmed from a parent complaint. He is facing possible charges of “Injury to a Child, Elderly, or Disabled person with Intent to Cause Bodily Harm”.
The incident involved a high school student, whose name has been withheld as the student is a minor.
Hopes self-surrendered to JISD Police Chief D.J. Sherrill early Thursday morning at the Marion County Jail. Hopes was released on a PR Bond of $5,000 after being arraigned by Justice of the Peace Lena Pope.
According to the arrest warrant, on August 19 Hopes left the classroom for a phone call. Upon returning, JISD video surveillance shows students pushing Hopes out of the classroom and him “continuously trying to go back into the classroom.”
Hopes was eventually held by a custodian to prevent re-entry to the classroom, the warrant states.
According to the warrant, which was issued on September 4, Sherrill reviewed voluntary written statements from students stating, “that Hopes, Roderick put his hands on the Juvenile (victim), picked him up and pushed the Juvenile (victim) against the cabinets on the wall, a juvenile student stating that he saw Hopes, Roderick place his left hand around his throat.”
Sherrill also states in the warrant he reviewed the school nurses report, along with “the Principal Jerry Brannen stating that he had noticed red marks on the Juvenile’s (victim) neck.”
The warrant also indicates “the Juvenile (victim) is under Section 504 at Jefferson ISD” for a medical condition.
According to the victim’s mother, Crystal Ray, “he had a closed head injury” after being evaluated at the UT-Pittsburg hospital.
According to medlineplus.gov, a closed head injury means you received a hard blow to the head from striking an object, but the object did not break the skull.
“I don’t understand how the school got the statement from my child, got statements from eight other students, and the coach admitted to what happened, and only gave him administrative leave for six days and then he was back at school with students,” Ray said. “If he did it to one student, so who’s next? It could be worse next time. It could have been worse this time. If my kid put his hands on another student, it’s 45 days in DAEP. If he put his hands on a teacher, it’s automatic expulsion. If I did this I could have CPS take my child away. It just doesn’t make sense to me. It’s a slap on the wrist for an adult. Students took him off my kid and outside the classroom. He broke away and came back. It makes no sense to me that he was so aggravated over a phone call that he came back to the classroom and did this. I just don’t understand it. It took the school over a week to contact me, and the cop didn’t know what student it was.”
Sherrill was out sick during the incident according to the warrant.
The warrant also indicated there was a miscommunication with Ray over the school contacting her about the incident. In the warrant, Sherrill states he apologized to Ray over the miscommunication.
Ray said she is looking for personal representation, but has not located an attorney at this time.
“I’m looking for someone to take this kind of case,” she said. “They keep telling me I don’t need [representation], but I’m looking. But I haven’t found one to take this case yet.”
The pending charge is from Section 22.04 of Texas Penal Code which states:
“(a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence, by act or intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly by omission, causes to a child, elderly individual, or disabled individual: (1) serious bodily injury; (2) serious mental deficiency, impairment, or injury; or (3) bodily injury.”
The pending charge is a 3rd degree felony. If convicted, the code carries a maximum sentence of up to 5 years in prison and/or a maximum fine of $10,000.
Marion County District Attorney Angela Smoak has received the arrest report, but had not fully reviewed the case as of press time and was unable to provide comment. Formal charges remain pending while the DA reviews the case.
Jefferson ISD Superintendent Rob Barnwell confirmed reports that the parent of a high school student has filed charges against a JISD teacher as a result of a physical confrontation between the student and teacher.
Barnwell was informed by JISD Police on September 8, 2022, that the teacher turned himself in due to the corresponding warrant.
And that the incident between the teacher and student occurred on August 19, 2022, at the high school campus.
“Unfortunately, we are having to deal with this incident, but due to confidentiality requirements, I am restricted from giving details related to this issue,” Barnwell said. “It is my hope, however, that the issue is resolved through the local justice system quickly and this staff member can legally return to normal duties on campus as soon as possible. As always, the safety and security of our students is a priority, and we are taking all necessary steps to ensure this situation is dealt with in the proper manner.”
Sherrill, JISD Athletic Director Antwain Jimmerson, and Hopes, were all contacted by the Jimplecute for comment, but as of publication Saturday none have responded.
According to the JP’s office, Hopes has legal representation, but the name of his lawyer has not been identified to the court.
Hopes is on paid administrative leave from JISD.
According to Barnwell, the JISD Board of Trustees discussed the issue during Executive Session in a recent meeting, but has not taken any action at this time.
JISD Board met in special session on August 30.
“On August 30, during executive session to discuss personnel matters, Mr. Barnwell briefed the board concerning an incident between a student and a teacher,” said JISD Board President Leah Cooper. “Subsequent to that meeting, charges were filed against the teacher, and the teacher turned himself in. Mr. Barnwell has continued to keep the board informed. I am respectful of the right to confidentiality in personnel matters, so I will not provide the newspaper with any specific comments related to this issue.
“I can assure you that the JISD Board of Trustees takes its responsibilities seriously. As Board Members, our decisions are guided by our Ethics policy. These include being fair, just, and impartial in our decisions and actions; basing our decisions on fact rather than supposition, opinion, or public favor; and not disclosing information that is confidential. If any of your readers would like to view the full Ethics policy, it is located on the district’s website, www.jeffersonisd.org. On the maroon ribbon above the photograph, select “School Board” and drop down option “School Board Policy”, then search for policy BBF.”
According to district DF series and TEA policies, Hopes is not required to be terminated by the district unless convicted.
Hopes is a 1997 graduate of Linden-Kildare High School and a graduate of Prairie View A&M. He is also a retired U.S. Navy Master Chief Petty Officer. He started with JISD in 2021 and is certified as a special education teacher (EC-12) according to the TEA website.