A former teacher at a Texas academy has been accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a teenage student, months after her father was arrested at the school for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor.
As reported by The Independent, 30-year-old Brooke Martinez is a teacher at Still Creek Christian Academy ranch in Brazos County – an on-site school for children between the ages of eight to 18 who have been taken out of crisis situations.
She stands accused of knowingly and intentionally engaging in an improper relationship with an 18-year-old student in 2024, according to the Brazos County Sheriff's Department. Martinez was arrested on April 10 after a school staff member contacted the BCSO and reported the alleged relationship with a student.
Brooke's Father Accused of Inappropriately Touching Children While Employed as a 'House Parent' at the School
Months before her arrest, Brooke's father, 57-year-old John Edward Martinez, was arrested in February and charged with three counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact. His arrest followed a call to police on January 20 about a possible sexual assault of a child at the ranch.
At that time, he had been working as a "house parent" - an adult who lives in private family quarters within houses onsite at the Still Creek Academy, shared with six to eight children. When they arrived, court documents show they spoke with a teenager under the age of 18 who was in Martinez's care.
The teenager said she and other teens in the facility had been groped by Martinez. The teen told deputies Martinez would take her and others to his private room, where there were no cameras, and lock the door. She says Martinez would then touch her breasts and buttocks under her clothes, sometimes forcibly, and offer her money or mall trips to give him a massage.
The victim said Martinez allegedly threatened to have them removed from the ranch if they did not comply to his demands. On Jan. 22, Child Protective Services contacted the sheriff's office and advised them of another Still Creek Ranch teen who Martinez had victimized.
Martinez admitted to spending one-on-one time with the teens in his private room and paying them to give him massages. He argued that behavior is just "grooming" and not illegal, according to KBTX. Deputies say he then tried to discredit the teens' reports by saying they made up the accusations in retaliation for him enforcing the rules.
He was fired in the wake of the allegations and was booked into the Brazos County Jail, but released on February 8 after also posting bail.
Still Creek Christian Academy Issues Statement, Says its 'Heartbroken and Disappointed'
In a statement shared with the outlet, Still Creek said it was "heartbroken and disappointed" over the allegations against Martinez. "The alleged behavior does not align with the high standards we expect of our teachers, who are tasked with creating a protective, nurturing environment for the students in our charge," the statement read.
The Academy added that immediately it had been made aware of the inappropriate behavior, it had filed reports with the Brazos County Sheriff's Office and Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, and was continuing to provide its full cooperation.
"The former teacher passed rigorous background checks prior to being hired. She separated from our organization earlier this year," the statement added. "It remains our primary goal to provide a secure, loving family for the students in our care. While proceedings are underway, we are unable to share further details." Still Creek had released a similar statement following the arrest of John Martinez.
Brooke Martinez was arrested in Ellis County, where she posted bail and was released from custody.
