The attorney for the family of a Texas teacher accused of aggravated sexual assault of a minor says they are "baffled" and "shocked" by the allegations and hope the public will wait for the facts before passing judgment.
David Goggins, a current teacher in the Northwest Independent School District and former teacher in the Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District, was arrested and charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child, according to the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Department.
The sheriff's office notified the Northwest ISD on Tuesday and the district said they promptly put him on administrative leave and barred him from entering the school or any other campus.
In a letter sent home to parents, Tricia Lutkenhaus, principal of Northwest ISD's Pike Middle School, said the allegations against Goggins occurred in another school district and they were brought to the attention of that district by a student this year. The district said they were unaware of the accusations before this week.
Get DFW local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC DFW newsletters.
In the EMSISD, parents of students attending Marine Creek Middle School were sent a message notifying them of the investigation into inappropriate conduct. The district said the teacher has not worked for the district since 2021-2022 and that due to the ongoing investigation, they were unable to share more information.
Details of the allegations were not disclosed by either district or the sheriff's department.
Goggins is represented by the law firm Varghese Summersett who stated on behalf of his family that they were shocked and baffled by the claims and that they asked the public to reserve judgment until all of the facts have been made clear.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
“David and his family were shocked by his arrest and the accusations against him. He has an exemplary record as a teacher and is highly regarded by his students and colleagues, who are equally baffled by these claims,” Goggin’s defense team said. “We are conducting our own investigation in the hopes of uncovering the real motivation behind these allegations.”
According to county records, Goggins was ordered held on a bond of $250,000. At last check he was not listed as an inmate at the county jail.
