Elgin High School teacher arrested

ELGIN, Texas (KXAN) - A former Elgin High School teacher is in jail after an Elgin police investigation into allegations of an improper relationship with a student.

School officials placed Adrian Montanez , 28, on administrative leave from the Elgin Independent School District on Tuesday after they received the report of the inappropriate relationship between a student and a high school teacher.

"Acting upon this information, the district took immediate measures to investigate the situation," said Elgin ISD Human Resource Director Al Rodriguez in an e-mail Friday.

Elgin Police Department Chief Chris Bratton said the investigation was handed over to police after a 16-year-old student went to district officials and told them Montanez had said some inappropriate things and that he had also possibly touched her inappropriately.

Bratton said the teen also told school officials that she didn't want to end up in the same kind of relationship as another girl she knew, and that's when Bratton said police were contacted.

They began interviewing girls, and Bratton said they pinpointed the other girl the 16-year-old referred to, who was a 17-year-old student.

Bratton said the investigation made them believe the 17-year-old had been having an inappropriate relationship with Montanez, and they are now looking for other possible victims. In addition, Bratton said they will be contacting former districts Montanez has worked with, including the Pflugerville Independent School District and a district in the San Antonio area.

Just after starting his second year with Elgin ISD and Elgin High School, Montanez resigned on Wednesday.

Bratton said Montanez lives with his wife in the Leander/Cedar Park area.

According to his teaching certificate , Montanez was certified as a bilingual generalist in Spanish from early childhood to the fourth grade. He also had certification in secondary Spanish from grades sixth through 12th.

Elgin police arrested Montanez Thursday after they called and asked him to stop by the police station.

He is now in the Bastrop County Jail charged with improper relationship between educator and student, a second-degree felony.

If convicted, Montanez could face between two and 20 years in prison and a fine not to exceed $10,000.

Bond is set at $250,000.