A former Magnolia ISD second-grade teacher now faces two additional felony charges after being taken into custody Tuesday, Aug. 11, on allegations he inappropriately touched multiple young students in his classroom. The case was investigated by the Montgomery County Precinct 5 Constable's Office, which patrols portions of the greater Woodlands area.
Jason Tomas Maldonado, 40, was booked into the Montgomery County Jail on charges of indecency with a child by sexual contact and improper relationship between educator and student, according to FOX 26 Houston and Texas Scorecard. Warrants for the new charges were issued out of Montgomery County, but Maldonado was picked up in Pasadena.
Bail was set at $30,000 for each new charge, according to Texas Scorecard.
The new charges escalate a case that began in December 2025, when the Precinct 5 Constable's Office opened an investigation after receiving a report through Child Protective Services. Magnolia ISD placed Maldonado on administrative leave on Dec. 15, 2025, based on parent reports. He has since resigned.
The constable's office concluded its investigation in May 2026, and Maldonado was arrested on what Texas Scorecard described as a charge of attempted improper relationship between an educator and a student. Bond at that time was set at $150,000. He had been free on that bond before Tuesday's arrest.
What investigators allege
According to court documents cited by FOX 26, Maldonado had second-grade female students sit on his lap on multiple occasions. One student told investigators the behavior happened repeatedly and that she saw Maldonado do the same to other female classmates.
Texas Scorecard reported that several students described inappropriate physical contact including prolonged hugging, having girls sit in his lap and straddle him, and touching them underneath or inside their clothing. The alleged incidents occurred during the 2024–25 and 2025–26 school years at Magnolia Parkway Elementary, a pre-K through fourth-grade campus with about 680 students.
Maldonado had worked for Magnolia ISD since the 2022–23 school year and previously taught in Aldine ISD. He held a Texas teaching certificate since 2016. On July 30, the State Board for Educator Certification indefinitely suspended his certification and placed him on the Texas Education Agency's Do Not Hire Registry.
Parent accuses district of inaction
Tayla Craig, a Magnolia parent whose daughter was among the affected students, told Texas Scorecard on Aug. 11 that she and her husband had filed a grievance with the district after learning their daughter had been one of Maldonado's "favorites." Craig accused school officials of minimizing parents' complaints about Maldonado's classroom behavior as far back as 2022.
"Detective Diane Peterson truly cares about these children, and it shows in everything she has done," Craig told Texas Scorecard. "We are incredibly grateful that they have taken this seriously and are working to hold him accountable, especially after so many opportunities to protect these children were missed."
School administrators denied the Craig family's grievance at Levels 1 and 2. A hearing before the Magnolia ISD school board on the Level 3 appeal is scheduled for Aug. 24.
Families whose children may have had contact with Maldonado are encouraged to contact the Montgomery County Precinct 5 Constable's Office at 281-259-6493.
