Students in the Mesquite Independent School District are getting a tough lesson in trust after administrators at Wilkinson Middle School say a beloved teacher's aide was caught in a lie.
Last week the school presented first-year teacher's aide Kevin MaBone with a car and more than $12,000 in donations, which were collected after MaBone told administrators he had cancer and needed a few days off for surgery.
"I loved him from the moment I interviewed him," said assistant principal Molly Purl, "because he is so warm and so personable. And I don't think you can fake loving kids, and he loved our kids."
Students themselves contributed $1,200 in cash to help MaBone.
But MaBone didn't have cancer, and didn't need surgery.
"I just feel heartbroken," said assistant principal Jessica Eaton. "I feel like in disbelief, shock."
"This is a prime example and an opportunity for us to be able to show our kids that even though we got taken in this situation, it's never wrong to help a human being," Purl said.
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MaBone, a former government worker, instead needed the time off for a federal court appearance in West Virginia, where he was scheduled Tuesday to be sentenced for using government credit cars to buy gas for his personal vehicle.
"Many people donated their hard working money to help out," said0 Gwendolyn Jones, who has two daughters at the school. "So I think it was very, very, very wrong."
"He was a really nice guy," said Mesha Moore, who has a daughter at the school. "I just didn't see it coming. I really didn't, honestly, I didn't. I feel bad for the whole situation."
School administrators caught on Monday, when MaBone told them over the phone the cancer was gone, then later fessed up after administrators found out about his court case online.
"The sadness, and the hurt, and trying to wrap your mind around how someone could do this to you," Purl said. "How someone could come in and work with our kids, and love our kids, and build our kids up and then this situation happens."
School administrators say MaBone promised to return the car and wants all the money returned, too.
Mesquite police are now investigating, and so is the U.S. attorney's office in West Virginia.
MaBone's sentencing was postponed until next month to give them time to get to the bottom of what happened at the middle school, where he has been let go from his teacher's aide position Tuesday.
Letter to Wilkinson Middle School students:
