Midland community expresses concern after educator indictments

MIDLAND, Texas (KOSA) - Concerned citizens spoke at the Midland City Council meeting on Tuesday about the recent indictments of former and current employees from Midland Christian School and Trinity School of Midland.

Supporters for Midland Christian and Trinity School shared their disappointment, calling for an independent investigation of the Midland Police Department.

Multiple speakers opined that because of the recent indictments, teachers that choose to go to Midland to work now have to fear that they can be arrested due to “an accident.”

“We are telling teachers you need to be afraid for your job, you need to be afraid to stand in front of your classroom, you need to be afraid every time a student falls, every time a desk falls, every time a picture falls off the wall,” said Midland resident Nate Saxton. “We’re telling you, you need to be afraid because you can be arrested because an accident can occur in your classroom,”

Jananne McLaughlin, a board of trustee member for the Trinity School, questioned why it took so long for an arrest report to come out and why it took 12 police officers to arrest an educator.

She said the city council has to pay attention to this matter so that parents, students, and teachers can trust the police moving forward.

“I know that if this can happen to these fine people, this can happen to any of us,” said McLaughlin.

Midland residents said they respect law enforcement and their hard work but say change needs to happen.

“The stand that I saw these people take is on a different level than what we are seeing here today,” said Midland resident Gaines Meyer. “Let’s lift up more of those types of people and prevent these few bad apples from spoiling the rest of our hardworking law enforcement.

A Midland spokesperson says the city council is deliberating on what they will do and that MPD cannot comment on an ongoing investigation.

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