In a disturbing turn of events, three employees of the Canutillo independent school District have been charged after an investigation into alleged assaults within a special education classroom at Deanna Davenport Elementary School in El Paso, Texas. The charges stem from incidents that reportedly occurred last month, bringing to light serious concerns about student safety and educator accountability.
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and the Canutillo ISD Police conducted a thorough investigation after school administrators reported concerning interactions between staff members and students. The investigation revealed that several students in the Special Education Behavioral Intervention Classroom were allegedly subjected to assaultive conduct while under staff supervision.
Allegations and Arrests
The arrest affidavits for Ruth Julieta Floresa special education teacher, and Cecilia Rocha-Luceroa substitute teacher, detail allegations that both witnessed Josue Urrutiaa paraprofessional, yelling at students and failing to stop or report his actions. On May 5Flores allegedly failed to report Urrutia, who was accused of grabbing a student and yelling in his face. Video footage showed Urrutia pulling a student toward him by grabbing the front of his shirt and yelling at the student for making him look bad.
During this interaction, Flores was allegedly present in the same classroom and instructed other students to sit down and read. She also reportedly told the student to go cry to a sub if he couldn’t do his work. Despite having the opportunity to help the student or report the incident, Flores allegedly took no action. On May 13Flores told police she never saw an employee place their hands on a student and would report it if she did. However, on May 27the student told officials that Urrutia grabbed his hands and caused him pain.
In Rocha-Lucero’s arrest affidavit, video footage showed her witnessing Urrutia yell at another student with autism. On May 6Urrutia appeared to tease the student by saying Oooh, you’re in trouble. The student responded with Shut upaccording to documents. Urrutia then raised his voice, swiped notebooks and other materials off the student’s desk, and continued yelling. Rocha-Lucero did not intervene, stop Urrutia, or report the interaction. The student’s mother reported that her daughter was scratched either from Urrutia or from the items thrown from the desk.
Charges and Consequences
The three employees charged in connection with these incidents are Josue UrrutiaRuth Julieta Floresand Cecilia Rocha-Lucero. Urrutia faces three counts of injury to a child/disabled individual with a total bond of $75,000. Flores has been charged with two counts of failing to stop or report a sexual or assaultive offense against a child, with a total bond of $40,000. Rocha-Lucero faces one count of the same charge, with a bond of $20,000.
The Canutillo Independent school district has taken swift action in response to these allegations. Superintendent Josue Borrego issued a statement emphasizing the district’s commitment to protecting children and maintaining safe learning environments. The employees implicated in the allegations were removed from campus, and an internal investigation was initiated. As a result of the investigation, four individuals involved in the matter are no longer employed by the district.
The district has also pledged to work closely with impacted families and provide access to counseling services and other available resources. Additionally, Canutillo ISD is actively reviewing its procedures, practices, and safeguards to identify additional measures that can further strengthen student protections and help prevent incidents like this from occurring in the future.
The Importance of Reporting
The affidavits noted that Urrutia allegedly engaged in assaultive conduct in which a reasonable person would believe that the child’s physical or mental welfare had been adversely affected. The failure of Flores and Rocha-Lucero to report these incidents highlights the critical importance of educator vigilance and accountability in protecting students, particularly those in special education programs.
As the investigation continues, additional charges may be filed as new information becomes available. The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and the Canutillo ISD Police are working diligently to ensure that anyone found responsible is held legally accountable for actions that endangered the safety and well-being of children.
