CANYON LAKE, Texas — Three Comal ISD teachers were charged for having inappropriate relationships with students in less than a year. Two of them worked at Canyon Lake High School (CLHS).
In the latest case, a girls soccer coach turned himself in. 38-year-old Orlando Neumann was arrested Friday for improper communication with a 15-year-old student. According to the Comal County Sheriff’s Office, Neumann also faces an unrelated charge of ‘Possession with Intent to Promote Child Pornography.’
“I was speechless,” said a parent who didn’t want to be publicly identified. “This school district is known to be a very good school district. So, I think that made it even more surprising.”
On Monday, KENS 5 spoke to a dozen parents picking up their children from school. Some said they are ‘disappointed’ by the new allegations, others said they are ‘disgusted.’
“The teachers; they shouldn’t have that type of contact with kids,” said a CLHS student.
In November, a CLHS math teacher was arrested. 38-year-old Devon Hopper is accused of sending inappropriate pictures and text messages to a 15-year-old student.
“There was always kind of like… you could tell she favored the boys more,” the student said.
“It makes you a lot more protective [of your kids],” said the parent.
Families say the school responded quickly to both incidents.
A spokesperson for Comal ISD said the district does full background checks and criminal history searches on every hire.
“I know that they are having more meetings about it,” said the parent. “So, hopefully they can come up with something.”
The following letter was sent to CLHS families:
“Parents,
The purpose of this message is to make you aware of a situation involving one of our teachers, Mr. Orlando Naumann. This morning, allegations of Mr. Naumann engaging in inappropriate communication with a student were brought to my attention. At this point, an immediate investigation began that included CLHS administration, Human Resources, and Law Enforcement. It was during our investigation that Mr. Nauman submitted his resignation. The Comal County Sheriff's Office has the case and will continue its investigation, which may lead to charges being filed.
Certainly, having two incidents of this nature in one school year is troubling to everyone. In response to the first incident that occurred in the fall, we held a meeting with all teachers and staff, which included Mr. Nauman, to address the seriousness of this issue and to reinforce appropriate student/teacher boundaries. We will continue to address this issue with all teachers and staff. And as I shared previously, the District's Human Resources department does conduct full background checks and criminal history of all hires to ensure that teachers have our students' best interest in mind. Please know that I am available to address any concerns you may have regarding this situation. Also, if your child has any concerns or questions, our counselors are available to meet with them as needed. In addition, If your child expresses that something inappropriate has happened between them and Mr. Nauman, or any teacher or staff member here at CLHS, please let me know.
Sincerely, Mark Oberholtzer, Principal Canyon Lake High School”
It comes after another teacher in the district pleaded guilty to similar charges. Emily Anderson worked at a Canyon High School in New Braunfels. The special education teacher was arrested in August for reportedly having sex with a 15-year-old student in a closet.