A Texas high school teacher has been charged with child endangerment after locking her 13-year-old son in the trunk of her car — because she was afraid of catching COVID-19.
According to KPRC, Cypress Falls High School English teacher Sarah Beam pulled in to a COVID testing site on January 3 when someone “reported hearing something in the trunk.”
Court documents show that witnesses told Beam “she would not receive a COVID test until the child was removed from the trunk” and put in the car. Police were summoned shortly thereafter.
Beam (left) said her son had tested positive for the virus, and that she was bringing him for another test. “To protect herself from being exposed,” Beam put him in the trunk.
The Post Millennial reports Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District confirmed Beam has been in its employ since 2011. She is currently on administrative leave. The Cypress Falls HS contact page has scrubbed Beam’s name; however, the cached version confirms her listing.
In a statement, the district said “CFPD was alerted that a child was in the trunk of a car at a drive-thru COVID-19 testing site earlier this week. Law enforcement conducted a full investigation, resulting in a warrant for arrest. Thankfully, the child was not harmed.”
A 2017 district “Spotlight Honorees” newsletter highlighting teachers “for their outstanding dedication in providing valuable instruction to students” notes Beam is “engaging, energetic [and] positive” and “a master at building relationships.”
“Sarah’s genuine kindness paves the way to allow students – even those who struggle the most – to have confidence in their ability to succeed,” Cypress Falls Principal Becky Denton wrote. “The intentional relationships she builds with families provide a solid foundation for her students to achieve well beyond the doors of her classroom.”
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IMAGES: Kekyalyaynen/Shutterstock.com; Cypress-Fairbanks ISD screencap
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