SBHS teacher placed on leave

By RAY QUIROGA
publisher@sbnewspaper.com

The San Benito Consolidated Independent School District (SBCISD) has placed a veteran educator at its high school campus on administrative leave.

District administrators announced their decision on social media late last Friday. “The San Benito Consolidated Independent School District was informed of (alleged) inappropriate internet communications between an employee and a child unaffiliated with the district,” the district posted on social media. “The employee has been placed on administrative leave.”

The post went on to add that an investigation is underway. “The District will release additional information as the law permits and as soon as the District can legally release such information, as this involves a personnel matter,” the post concludes.

Jacob Lott of Houston, who said he works, in proxy, with popular YouTuber Jidion, said he reported the alleged communications between him and the educator earlier this summer.

The 24-year-old Lott said that he posed as a 13-year-old boy with the help of a de-aging app for a “Catch a Predator” style segment on Jidion’s YouTube Channel, and that a veteran SBCISD teacher allegedly took the bait.

Lott provided authorities with what he deemed as evidence, including screenshots and messages between the two.

Lott said that he felt that the educator posed a particular threat due to his proximity to youths, so he broke with “team” protocol and reported the past award-recognized teacher to the SBPD in July of this year, which referred him to the SBCISD-PD in hopes that this individual would at least not be allowed reenter the classroom for the start of the 2025-26 school year.

“He was cautious,” Lott explained, saying that the accused commented on how “neat” his room appeared and asked that he show him the rest of the room as they FaceTimed.

Lott surmised that the alleged perpetrator asked to see the room not to admire it so much as to ensure no adults or cameras were present.

Lott provided the authorities with the files allegedly depicting images of the accused flexing and shirtless, and other communication between the two, he said, including the accused and Lott discussing their ages and the accused asking Lott if he was comfortable continuing the communication given their age gap.

This, after Lott, again, posing as a child, described the accused as “cute.”

He went on to say that as word spread on social media of his efforts, students began confronting the 38-year-old educator, and that he was eventually escorted out of his classroom.

Since then, dozens of students have come forward on social media sharing stories of the educator’s perceived questionable behavior and comments over the years; however, no official reports of inappropriate physical contact or abuse are known to have been officially reported.