Texas
IL Texas superintendent responds to criticism over student safety and alleged teacher misconduct
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) -IL Texas officials are addressing mounting criticism over the school’s handling of student safety and alleged staff misconduct after a former teacher was accused of sexually assaulting a student. The concerns center around Jose Adrian Hernandez Grimaldo, a former Spanish teacher who allegedly sexually assaulted a 12-year-old girl in a school bathroom and left bruises on a student with special needs in 2022.
Several parents reached out to KBTX expressing their concerns after learning Grimaldo was fired, rehired during an appeals process, and transferred to another campus while police investigations were still ongoing.
Erin and Michael Williams sat down with KBTX earlier this month to share their distress when their son was allegedly harmed by the same man. They said their son came home with bruises on his arm less than a month after the Spanish teacher was hired and felt the district continued to ignore parents’ concerns.
“You failed our children, and you continued to fail our children after I told you that they were not safe,” said Erin. “We know that multiple people have told you these things, and you did nothing, nothing,” Michael added.
The school met with parents Tuesday in two separate meetings to discuss safety and security protocols on campus. KBTX requested to attend the meeting but was denied. However, IL Texas Superintendent Eddie Conger did agree to meet with us. Conger declined to comment on specific allegations due to ongoing investigations but emphasized the school’s commitment to safety.
“I’m not going to be able to address any issues related to any ongoing investigations that the police may have, but I will be addressing, in general terms, just the process of any employee who may be terminated, working through that process, and then the employee’s rights,” said Conger. “What I plan to do is what we have always done, and that is to make sure that any and every allegation that we investigate, that all of our staff, all of our over 2,000 employees, that all of us are complying with the law.”
Conger, who has a background as a Marine infantry officer and has served for 20 years, outlined his priorities, including the safety of students and staff, good order and discipline, learning, and teaching. He noted that improving communication with parents would be a key focus moving forward.
“We only have four priorities immediately following that. And that is the safety of kids and staff, good order and discipline, learning, meaning the kids’ results, that it’s learning, and then teaching. But as part of our visit today, we’re going to be talking with parents on safety and security, the laws, the policies, and by policy I’m talking about the school board approves the policies, but also our procedures and our protocols,” said Conger.
When asked about his thoughts regarding concerns raised by parents, Conger stated that it was very important that any parent anywhere continue to raise those concerns up the chain of command.
“One of the things that IL Texas does not have the authority in public education and charter schools or public schools is the option to ignore. We don’t have an option not to address those concerns, but all the concerns need to be brought to the campus level, above the campus level, and then of course, all the way up to me as the superintendent,” said Conger.
Conger was also asked about balancing safety and security with teachers’ rights and added that as superintendent he will use every inch of his authority to ensure students and staff remain safe on campus.
“It’s a hard one for me to answer because you first have to remain to make sure that kids and staff are safe, period. It’s a zero-tolerance perfection expectation because I don’t care how many rules you have in place, if my granddaughter gets hurt, the system failed. If my children get hurt, the system failed. But in that environment, all of us, pastors, coaches, employees, employers out in town, every educator, we have to make decisions that are in the best interest of kids, and we have to err on the side of what’s in the best interest of kids versus the adults,” said Conger.
As far as any failures in the IL Texas system, Conger reflected on his time as a parent and grandparent.
“Anytime my granddaughter’s hurt, your system failed. My granddaughter’s hurt, I’m going to be upset. So that is my answer there. There is no satisfactory answer for any child to be hurt regardless of where you are.”
Conger concluded the interview by highlighting the importance of vigilance and the role of educators as the balance teaching and keeping students safe.
“If you see something, say something. It’s incumbent on all of us every day to make sure that we’re listening, and we’re watching, and we’re reporting. If you see something, say something. If you hear something, say something. And if the people you talk to don’t give you a satisfactory answer, push the issue all the way up the chain of command in any organization that you’re in,” said Conger.
“To every educator out there, thank you for the hard work that you do. I don’t think any of us fully recognize the work of teachers, the stress that they’re under, the low pay, the administrative requirements, and then just they’re pouring into kids to try to help the kids learn and to be a whole person. So please make sure that all of us are recognizing that work,” Conger added.
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FORT WORTH, TX — When she’s not on the court, Texas forward Justice Carlton is baking cookies.
If you’re wondering if they’re good, just ask her teammates.
“They’re the best thing I’ve ever tasted,” senior Sarah Graves said.
What started as baking for her teammates and managers for fun has grown into a full-fledged business: J’s Rollin In Dough.
After hours of practice on the basketball court and in the weight room, Carlton spends six hours a day baking cookies to fulfill her orders – or sometimes, simply for fun.
“Anytime that I get out of practice around 5 I’m so happy because I just go home and bake,” Carlton said.
Carlton’s love for baking dates back to her childhood.
“My mom worked over the summers, so when we were out of school it was so boring,” she said. “But the Easy-Bake Oven and the cake pop machine saved my life.”
Over winter break, she and her mom began discussing the possibility of creating a business of her own. They decided she could use her NIL money to form a limited liability company and obtain her food handlers license, so she did just that.
In just three months of business, she’s received more than 100 orders and has gained nearly 1,200 followers on Instagram. She takes orders through a form linked in her Instagram bio.
“It’s funny to see athletes do other things they are passionate about because they put the same focus and intensity into it,” Graves said. “And I can tell she has that for baking.”
Watch March Madness on Fubo
Last month, Carlton baked a batch of cookies for the “College Gameday” staff in hopes of gaining some media attention. The following month, the SEC Network staff ordered a batch at the SEC tournament and tried the cookies on live TV.
“I used basketball as my platform, which (associate director of communications Jeremy Rosenthal) really helped me do,” she said. “I’ve just kind of been getting my name out there, so that’s been something that’s really fun.”
The flavors offered are chocolate chip, cookie monster, cookies n’ cream, red velvet, brown butter salted caramel snickerdoodle and her newest flavor, sugar cookie. She also takes requests.
“She made a banana pudding cookie recently,” freshman Aaliyah Crump said. “I think that one was my favorite.”
While many of her orders come from her teammates, she recently received an order from the Longhorns football team for a team party and for a neuroscience class celebration.
In the future, Carlton hopes to move her business outside of the kitchen and onto the streets.
“I’ve put all my sales money aside and I want to start a food truck,” she said. “I think I would do something like a Crumbl Cookies on wheels.”
For now, Carlton has turned the oven off while she and the Longhorns prepare to face Kentucky in the Sweet 16 on March 28.
Ansley Gavlak is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.
The Texas Longhorns haven’t slowed down throughout the 2026 season as they now hold a 29-1 record and continue to push the longest winning streak in program history farther along, as the Longhorns’ winning streak now stands at 27 games.
The Longhorns have strung together consistency and dominance over the last weeks of the season, as recently the Longhorns have become the unanimous top team in the country, earning the top spot, ranking as the No. 1 team in the nation.
And now No. 1 Texas will get back to the gauntlet that is SEC play with a conference series against one of its bitter rivals in the dirt edition of the Lone Star Showdown against the No. 15 Texas A&M Aggies. The Longhorns get ready to host, welcoming in the Aggies to Red and Charline McCombs Field with the first game of the series set for Friday, March 27, at 6 p.m. CT.
How to Watch Texas vs. Texas A&M
Who: No. 1 Texas Longhorns and No. 15 Texas A&M Aggies
What: Lone Star Showdown
When: March 27-29
Where: Red and Charline McCombs Field in Austin, TX
TV/Streaming: Friday on SEC Network+, Saturday on ESPN2 and Sunday on ESPN
Radio: Longhorn Radio Network
Meet the Opponent
The Aggies head into the Lone Star Showdown series with a 23-9 overall record and have found success through their two conference series of the season, with a 5-1 record in the SEC. Away from home, the Aggies have split four of their away games with a 2-2 record on the road.
With the flip of the calendar from non-conference to conference play, the Aggies find a rhythm on the field, taking their conference opener against the then No. 17-ranked LSU Tigers on the road 2-1 and followed that up with a sweep at home against the Kentucky Wildcats, outscoring the Wildcats 26-9 over the three-game series.
The Longhorns batting order will battle against an Aggies pitching staff that heads into the weekend series with a 3.10 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. As a whole, the Aggies pitching staff has recorded 193 strikeouts while holding their opponents to a .225 batting average.
The leader of the Aggies pitching staff is sophomore Sydney Lessentine, as her 72 innings pitched is the most by any other Aggies pitcher. In her 19 appearances this season, Lessentine tallies a 2.43 ERA and .82 WHIP along with 60 strikeouts and holds opponents to a .196 batting average.
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