An El Paso mother says a summer day at Herrera Elementary turned into a nightmare when her 3-year-old daughter was discovered alone in a classroom bathroom, smeared with feces and unable to get out. Wendy Calderon says she found her daughter, Faith, in clear distress and struggling with the bathroom door, and that the experience has now left the preschooler terrified of closed bathroom doors. Calderon is publicly demanding a full accounting of what happened and what, if anything, happened to the staff involved.
Parent Reviewed Footage And Filed Complaints
According to KFOX-TV, Calderon was allowed to review campus surveillance video on December 5. She says the footage appears to show a teaching assistant walking out with Faith’s classmates while the classroom teacher also left, with Faith remaining behind. Calderon told the station she has filed complaints with the El Paso Independent School District, Child Protective Services, and the Texas Education Agency, and that she is seeking formal disciplinary action against the employees shown in the footage. She says she only pieced together what happened after pushing the district to let her view the camera recordings herself.
District Says Review Was Quick But Keeps Details Close
EPISD told the station the incident “was reviewed promptly and thoroughly by campus staff and district administrators” and that “appropriate administrative actions were taken in accordance with district procedures.” The district did not explain what those actions were, or whether they involved discipline or staffing changes. In the same statement to KFOX-TV, officials emphasized that student safety and well-being remain “our highest priorities.” Calderon and reporters, however, did not receive specifics about what happened behind the scenes after the review.
What State Rules Require
Per the Texas Education Agency, school employees are mandatory reporters, which means they must escalate allegations of abuse, neglect, or safety concerns within set timelines. That process includes principals notifying superintendents and, in certain situations, superintendents reporting matters to the agency. The guidance also tells school staff not to run their own investigations and instead to refer suspected abuse or neglect to the Texas Abuse Hotline and DFPS for follow-up. These expectations are laid out by the Texas Education Agency.
Family Says Child Is Still Struggling
Calderon says the fallout has not faded for Faith. “But to date, she doesn’t like using the bathroom door, the bathroom with the door closed. If anybody tries to leave her, she starts crying right away,” she told reporters. The mother says the district’s lack of a clear, public explanation of its internal review has only heightened her fears, and it is why she has turned to outside agencies. She says she plans to keep pressing state officials for documentation of any actions taken against school staff.
About Herrera Elementary
William C. Herrera Elementary is a PK-5 campus in El Paso ISD that enrolls several hundred students, according to a school profile from the Texas Tribune. The school is one of many in the district that officials say they work to keep safe while following district procedures for personnel matters and student safety concerns.
Legal And Regulatory Process…