Austin ISD band teacher arrested for exchanging sexual images with student

Teacher accused of indecency with a child

Rodney Childers, an Austin ISD band teacher, has been arrested and charged for allegedly exchanging sexual images with a student and sending them money.

AUSTIN, Texas - An Austin ISD band teacher has been arrested for allegedly sending money to a student through CashApp and exchanging sexual images with them.

41-year-old Rodney Tyrone Childers has been charged with three counts of second-degree felony Indecency with a child by exposure, two counts of second-degree felony improper educator/student relationship, and one count of third-degree felony grooming of a child.

Childers had taught band, piano and choir at LBJ Early College High School since August 2023, the district says.

According to Williamson County Jail records, Childers was arrested by the Round Rock Police Department on July 31. Bond has been set at $75,000 for each of the improper educator/student relationship charges and $50,000 for the child grooming and indecency with a child charges, totaling $375,000.

Rodney Tyrone Childers

According to court paperwork, the student's parent told Austin ISD police that her son had received multiple deposits of money through CashApp from Childers. Police then discovered that Childers had sent her son $2,296 over 57 transactions from February through July of this year.

The parent also told police that Childers had taken her son to get a haircut without her permission. When she confronted him, Childers had reportedly acknowledged he should have gotten her approval and that it was against school district policy for him to provide these things to her child, but overall downplayed the accusation, says the court paperwork.

Childers also allegedly communicated with the student through various apps, including Instagram, BandApp and SMS messaging apps. The student told police the two of them had exchanged explicit sexual images.

The student also told police that during all this, Childers had purchased multiple electronic vape pens, including some that contained marijuana.

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Austin ISD letter about Rodney Childers

Dr. Angel Wilson, assistant superintendent of secondary schools, released the following letter to parents about Childers' arrest:

Subject: Arrest of LBJ ECHS Teacher
July 31, 2024

Dear Austin ISD Families,

Today, Austin ISD Police officers arrested Rodney Childers on a charge of two counts of Indecency with a Child by Exposure, a second degree felony and two counts of improper educator/student relationship, a second degree felony. Childers taught band, piano and choir at LBJ beginning August 2023.

The safety of our students is our greatest concern. We are doing everything we can to understand how this incident occurred to prevent situations like this in the future.

When the allegation was first reported by a parent on Thursday, July 25, we immediately placed him on administrative leave while Austin ISD Police conducted their investigation.

To protect the privacy of the student and family involved, I’m limited in what I can say about the allegations and the arrest. If you believe you have information related to this investigation, please contact Austin ISD Police at 512-414-1703.

We know this is a troubling situation and want you to know we are here to support. District leadership will host a family meeting in the LBJ ECHS Library, this evening, Wednesday, July 31 at 5:30 p.m. to listen, share counseling resources and assess the need for additional support.

Spanish interpretation will be provided.

Please contact Principal Sheila Henry at sheila.henry@austinisd.org with questions or if there is anything we can do to support you and your child.

Thank you.

Dr. Angel Wilson
Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Schools
Austin ISD