HOUSTON – A Spring Branch ISD middle-school teacher is facing criminal charges after allegations surfaced about an inappropriate relationship with an eighth-grade student.
A fellow faculty member at Memorial Middle School reported the alleged relationship between Kathryn “Camille” Murray and the boy to the principal on February 13.
The school relieved Murray of duty shortly afterward.
After an investigation, the district alerted Child Protective Services, the Spring Branch ISD Police Department and the Texas Board for Educator Certification about the accusations.Charges of sexual assault of a child were filed against Murray Thursday and she was arrested several hours later.
Murray’s bond was set at $250,000.
Kids will now be safer thanks to the faculty member who did the right thing by reporting this pedophile teacher to the principal who obeyed the mandatory reporting law and reported this abuse to law enforcement. It also took great courage for this boy to tell his mother and police on Feb. 20. Predators need secrecy to harm children. The light of truth and knowledge is our most important tool in protecting kids.
This action should serve as a model to churches, schools and other institutions charged with overseeing the well-being of kids. This immediate action should have been taken by Prestonwood Baptist Church head pastor Dr. Jack Graham, then youth pastor Neal Jeffrey and other adults in Dallas in 1989 when they heard from not just one child, but several that had been sexually abused by my former minister John Langworthy. My father even heard Langworthy confess to this sexual abuse of children, but he also did not report these crimes to law enforcement and still defends these actions today.
To this day, Dr. Graham and Prestonwood have yet to admit wrongdoing to the church congregation, report Langworthy’s crimes while on staff at Prestonwood to the police, express remorse to all harmed and reach out to these victims to come forward, go to the police, get help, start healing, to protect other kids.
I do know that Langworthy is not the only former minister from Prestonwood who left after the staff heard credible accusations from victims about child sexual abuse. I know of 2 others. Prestonwood also did not report these men to law enforcement as required by law.
If anyone has seen, suspected or suffered child sex crimes by clergy or others in positions of trust and authority, please call law enforcement and report the abuse, no matter how long ago or how recent the abuse occurred. Keep in mind your silence only hurts. In some states like in TX, anyone who suspects child abuse or neglect is required to report.
“This is serious. You can’t cure it. You’ve got to believe your kids.”
“This is not a one time thing that someone does by mistake.”
