FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts:
Caitlin Madison
Exec. Dir. Of Communications, Marketing & PR
315-945-1391
cmadison@iltexas.org

May 31, 2024 - Our practice at International Leadership of Texas is to be as transparent as possible.
However, we will not place transparency over safety, and we will always work in collaboration with our
local law enforcement partners to ensure that justice can be served when a campus investigation
transitions into a criminal legal matter – especially when the safety of our students, staff, or campus is
involved.

Anytime a report of a threat to student safety is received, the report is taken seriously, and a numbered
tasking order for an investigation is issued. When an investigation is launched at ILTexas, interviews are
conducted with alleged victims and witnesses, security footage is reviewed when available, and when
necessary, independent investigators from Area Offices or Headquarters are assigned to complete the
investigation. In an instance where safety is in question, the person or persons under investigation will
also be placed on administrative leave while the investigation is taking place. We also file required
reports with the local police department, Department of Family and Protective Services within 48 hours of
initial notice, and the State Board of Education as appropriate. Police Departments and the Department of
Family and Protective Services have investigative/legal authority and tools for investigations that public
school systems do not have.

The following is a timeline of events, as our records show, of the investigations related to Jose Adrian
Hernandez Grimaldo:

Jose Adrian Hernandez Grimaldo was hired by ILTexas College Station K-8 on 08/01/2022. As part of
the hiring process that all ILTexas new hires complete, a background check was conducted and was
reported back as cleared to hire. It should also be noted that Hernandez Grimaldo is a J-1 teacher who is
in the United States on a teaching visa, which requires additional security clearance from the Department
of Homeland Security prior to his hire.

On 08/31/2022 at 7:58 AM, a parent emailed the principal alleging that their child had bruising on the
inside of his arm caused by a teacher that they requested we investigate. The principal responded to the
parent at 9:42 AM with, “I’m calling you now, yes ma’am.” On 09/02/2022 at 12:38 PM, the incident
was reported to the Department of Family and Protective Services. The College Station Police
Department was also notified of the incident. Hernandez Grimaldo was placed on administrative leave on
09/07/2022. The investigation concluded on 10/04/2022, showed that Hernandez Grimaldo used his hands
to pick a student up off the floor after they had gotten into an altercation with another student. At the
direction of the Superintendent, Hernandez Grimaldo was to receive a Letter of Reprimand directing him
to, “not place your hands on any students at any time for redirection moving forward.” He was to be
reinstated as a classroom teacher as of 10/04/2022.

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On 02/13/2023, ILTexas College Station K-8 administration received a complaint that Hernandez
Grimaldo touched one student on the thigh, braided another student’s hair, and touched a different
student’s belly button. That same day, reports were filed with the College Station Police Department and
the Department of Family and Protective Services. On 02/14/2023 we began an investigation, which
included placing Hernandez Grimaldo on administrative leave. He did not return to ILTexas College
Station K-8 after 02/14/2023. After interviewing 18 students, the ILTexas investigation was unable to
substantiate the claims of inappropriate touching, braiding students’ hair, or touching a student’s belly
button that were initially reported. On 03/22/2023, the Superintendent’s directive was that Hernandez
Grimaldo would be able to resign immediately or he would be terminated as he was in violation of his
previous directive in the Letter of Reprimand issued on 10/04/2022 which directed him to “not place your
hands on any students at any time for redirection moving forward.” Hernandez Grimaldo received a letter
of termination on 03/24/2023. The investigation formally concluded on 03/28/2023.

On 05/15/2023, Hernandez Grimaldo filed a Level III grievance to the ILTexas Administrative Appeal
Panel to overturn the termination.

A three-person panel comprised of the ILTexas Chief of Staff, a member of the Human Resources team,
and an ILTexas Assistant Principal conducted an appeal hearing on 05/23/2023. On 05/24/2023 the
termination was overturned. As a condition of the decision, Hernandez Grimaldo was placed on probation
for the 23-24 school year and was offered the opportunity to accept a teaching position at a different
ILTexas campus. Hernandez Grimaldo began working at ILTexas Lancaster K-8 on 08/01/2023.

On 09/27/2023 at 12:37 PM, a parent emailed the ILTexas College Station K-8 Principal notifying him
that she needed to speak to him about her former 6th grade student’s teacher from the 22-23 school year.
That same afternoon, the principal called the parent who alleged inappropriate sexual interactions took
place between their student and Hernandez Grimaldo. At 8:24 PM on 09/27/2023, the principal filed the
required report with the Department of Family and Protective Services. While the Principal was filing the
required report, the College Station Police Department contacted him to inform him that they were
investigating a report of a sexual assault between the former 6th-grade student and Hernandez Grimaldo.
At 8:34 PM, the principal reported the allegations from the parent, as well as the notification from
College Station PD and his reporting of the DFPS report up his chain of command in the Houston Area
Office and to the Deputy Superintendent of School Leadership at ILTexas Headquarters. The incident was
alleged to have occurred sometime during the months of January or February 2023. This was the first time
ILTexas was made aware of any sexual assault allegations.

That same day, ILTexas began working with the College Station Police Department and the detective
assigned to the case to protect the integrity of the criminal investigation. On 10/31/2023, the College
Station Police Department subpoenaed all records of Hernandez Grimaldo, and ILTexas immediately put
him on administrative leave from ILTexas Lancaster K-8 as a result.

On 11/10/2023, upon receipt of the subpoena and after clearance from the College Station Police
Department detective that an internal investigation by ILTexas would not interfere with their
investigation, ILTexas launched our own investigation into the allegation on 11/14/2023.

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On 01/03/2024, the ILTexas investigation was concluded, and the sexual assault claims were unable to be
substantiated. From the investigation findings, “During the timeline of January-February 2023, the
Student was assigned to Eagle Academy only on February 3, 2023. The student did not attend Eagle
Academy on February 3, 2023, because she completed her work prior to the time for Eagle Academy and
was not required to attend.” Note that video footage is only available for a 30-day period, therefore, the
investigation initiated on 11/14/2023 was unable to review video from the time the incident allegedly
occurred. Hernandez Grimaldo was reinstated as a teacher at ILTexas Lancaster K-8 on 01/03/2024.

On 05/21/2024 we received a report that Hernandez Grimaldo had been arrested and we confirmed the
arrest with the College Station Police Department. As a result of the arrest, Hernandez Grimaldo was
terminated from ILTexas Lancaster K-8 on 05/24/2024.

On 05/24/2024, ILTexas Communications sent two messages to families. One communication was sent to
ILTexas Lancaster K-8 families, and the same communication was sent to ILTexas College Station K-8
families. The communication stated, “At this time we have no reason to believe there is any connection
between the arrest and our students or campus.” While this is factually correct for the ILTexas Lancaster
K-8 campus, it was incorrect for ILTexas College Station K-8 campus. This was an error on the part of
ILTexas Communications, and the ILTexas College Station K-8 campus communication should have
been revised to more clearly communicate the situation. We are reviewing our communication protocols
to ensure that we are communicating with families in the most transparent way possible, within the
constraints of employee rights and our legal limitations of what we are able to share to protect the
integrity of any criminal investigation.

All other questions regarding this investigation should to be directed to the College Station Police
Department. As I mentioned in my message yesterday, I want to ensure justice can be served in this case.

Eddie Conger
Founder & Superintendent
International Leadership of Texas

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International Leadership of Texas is a free public charter school serving more than 23,000 students
across 25 campuses in the Dallas, Fort Worth, College Station, Cleveland, and Houston areas. Our
mission is to prepare students for exceptional leadership roles in the international community by
emphasizing servant leadership, mastering the English, Spanish, and Chinese languages, and
strengthening the mind, body, and character. To learn more, visit ILTexas.org