A long-serving teacher, David Schachter, has filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas against several officials from the Hays County Sheriff’s Office, Wimberley Independent School District, and the Hays County District Attorney’s Office. Schachter, an English teacher with two decades of experience, claims his teaching career, mental health, and family security were ruined due to a conspiracy that led to his wrongful arrest and prosecution. He alleges that these actions were orchestrated to permanently damage his reputation and ensure he would never teach again.
The Incident and Arrest
The lawsuit stems from an incident that occurred in 2022, when Schachter was arrested for Class C Misdemeanor offensive contact. The arrest followed allegations from two students at Wimberley Independent School District, where Schachter was employed. According to Schachter’s complaint, the accusations were fabricated and the investigation by the school’s administration and law enforcement officials was deeply flawed.
Schachter was arrested on September 27, 2022, and later prosecuted on September 26, 2023. Despite the charges, Schachter was acquitted by a jury on the same day of his prosecution. However, by the time of his acquittal, his career and personal life had already been severely impacted.
Allegations Against Officials
In his lawsuit, Schachter alleges that a group of seven individuals conspired to frame him. These defendants include:
• Christi Moeller, the principal at the time of the allegations and currently the Director of Safety and School Initiatives for Wimberley ISD,
• Ashley Martinez, a Hays County Sheriff’s Deputy who served as the school’s resource officer,
• Chase Fuller, a detective with the Hays County Sheriff’s Office,
• James Young, a supervisor in the Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officer Division,
• Kenneth Carpenter and Eugene Carranza, both supervisors in the Sheriff’s Office, and
• Jessica Rabena, an Assistant District Attorney with the Hays County District Attorney’s Office.
Schachter accuses Moeller of conspiring with Martinez to manufacture the allegations against him, with the goal of ending his teaching career. He asserts that Martinez coerced the alleged victims into making false statements, while Fuller, the lead investigator, submitted misleading probable cause affidavits that omitted critical evidence that could have exonerated him. Additionally, the lawsuit claims that the supervisors, Young, Carpenter, and Carranza, failed to intervene despite having opportunities to prevent the wrongful arrest and malicious prosecution.
Key Evidence Allegedly Ignored
Schachter contends that the investigation was flawed from the outset. His lawsuit outlines several key pieces of evidence that were ignored or mishandled, including:
• A failure to interview all the students present during the alleged incidents,
• The omission of testimony from Schachter’s co-teacher, who was also present,
• Failure to review surveillance footage from the hallway that contradicted the allegations,
• Delayed and mishandled interviews with the alleged victims, and
• An alleged personal relationship between Martinez and one of the accusers.
Schachter claims that this mishandling of the case shows that there was no legitimate basis for his arrest or prosecution and that the real motive behind these actions was to damage his professional reputation.
Malicious Prosecution
In addition to the wrongful arrest claim, Schachter also alleges malicious prosecution. He asserts that despite the lack of evidence and the significant flaws in the investigation, Assistant District Attorney Jessica Rabena moved forward with the prosecution. Schachter claims Rabena knew the charges would not hold up in court but continued with the prosecution in the hopes that Schachter would accept a plea deal, thereby ending his teaching career.
Seeking Justice and Accountability
Schachter’s lawsuit seeks to hold each of the defendants accountable for their role in his wrongful arrest and prosecution. The lawsuit, filed under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, claims violations of Schachter’s Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights to be free from false arrest and malicious prosecution. He is seeking damages for the economic losses caused by the destruction of his teaching career, as well as compensation for the mental anguish suffered by him and his family throughout the ordeal.
The case highlights issues within both the Wimberley Independent School District and the Hays County Sheriff’s Office, raising questions about the integrity of the investigation and the actions of the individuals involved. Schachter’s lawsuit underscores the serious consequences that can result from wrongful allegations and prosecutorial misconduct, which, in this case, nearly ended a 20-year teaching career.
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