Jason Maldonado
Charged, not convicted. Jason Maldonado faces multiple felony charges and is presumed innocent.
Introduction
Jason Tomas Maldonado, 40, is a former second-grade teacher at Magnolia Parkway Elementary School in the Magnolia Independent School District near Houston who was arrested in May 2026 on a charge of attempted improper relationship between educator and student after investigators said students described inappropriate physical contact in his classroom — and indicted again in August 2026 on two further felony counts, indecency with a child by sexual contact and improper relationship between educator and student . His Texas teaching certificate has been indefinitely suspended, and he has been placed on the state’s Do Not Hire Registry pending the outcome of the criminal charges .
Background Information
Maldonado joined Magnolia ISD in the 2022-23 school year as a fourth-grade teacher after previously teaching in Aldine ISD, and held a Texas teaching certificate since 2016. The Montgomery County Precinct 5 Constable’s Office opened its investigation in December 2025, after a report from Child Protective Services. Magnolia ISD placed him on administrative leave on December 15, 2025, and said he later resigned .
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
Investigators interviewed students, witnesses, and school staff, and several students disclosed that Maldonado subjected them to inappropriate physical contact in the classroom — prolonged hugging, having girls sit on his lap and straddle him, and touching underneath or inside their clothing. Court records state that on multiple occasions he had second-grade students sit on his lap and hug him while seated on his legs, and one student said she saw him do this to other female classmates. The alleged incidents occurred during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years .
Maldonado was booked into the Montgomery County Jail on May 21, 2026, on the third-degree felony charge, with bond set at $150,000. On August 6, a Montgomery County grand jury returned indictments on the two second-degree felony counts; he was taken into custody in Pasadena and held on $30,000 bail for each new charge .
Public Reaction and Consequences
Magnolia ISD said it could not communicate details publicly during the active investigation but confirmed the December 2025 leave and resignation: “On December 15, 2025, the district took action based on parent reports, the employee was placed on administrative leave, and the proper authorities were notified. The employee has since resigned” . One mother, Tayla Craig, told Texas Scorecard that parents had reported red flags about Maldonado’s classroom conduct since 2022 and said that even after he was put on leave he was still allowed on campus to pick up his own children — an account the district did not address in its statements . Constable Chris Jones said investigators were continuing to identify and interview potential witnesses and victims .
Current Status
Maldonado is awaiting trial on three felony counts — attempted improper relationship, improper relationship, and indecency with a child by sexual contact. The charges are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The Texas Education Agency indefinitely suspended his certification on July 30, 2026, and placed him on the Do Not Hire Registry, an administrative consequence that applies while the criminal charges are pending and is only resolved by their outcome .
Impact on Their Career/Life
Maldonado’s removal from the classroom came in stages — parent reports in December 2025, his resignation, the May arrest, the August indictments — and ends any realistic return to Texas public education regardless of the criminal outcome: the indefinite certificate suspension and Do Not Hire listing remain in force until the charges are finally resolved. The case shows how Magnolia ISD’s December action, a parent’s CPS report, and a constable’s investigation stacked into a three-felony prosecution within eight months .
Sources
- Texas Scorecard, “Magnolia Teacher Arrested for Sexual Misconduct With Elementary Students,” May 22, 2026 — source
- Texas Scorecard, “More Charges for Magnolia Teacher Accused of Molesting Students,” August 11, 2026 — source
- FOX 26 Houston, “Former Magnolia ISD teacher indicted on 2 new charges,” August 2026 — source