A high school teacher accused of having sex with one of his 17-year-old students in his classroom has been released from jail after posting bond. Chad Allen Rodriguez, 38, a physics and astronomy teacher and sports coach at John Jay High School, walked free on Tuesday after spending four days behind bars in Bexar County Adult Detention Center.
The 180-pound track and football coach was arrested off campus last Saturday and charged with having an improper relationship with a student – a second-degree felony that carries up to 20 years in prison. Rodriguez shares a home in a cul-de-sac with his wife, Kimberly Rodriguez, 37, a wealth adviser at Capital Group, a $3.3 trillion asset management firm. Kimberly, who studied at Texas A&M University and previously worked at the same school district as her husband, had her LinkedIn profile abruptly taken down on Wednesday, shortly after the story broke.
One of Kimberly's siblings told the Daily Mail she could not comment on the extremely sensitive issue. Chad's father, William Rodriguez, likewise declined to discuss the allegations but urged the public not to rush to judgment. 'The investigation is ongoing,' he told the Daily Mail. Rodriguez's bail was set at $50,000 and he was released on the condition that he has no contact with the student who reported him, a Bexar County official told the Daily Mail.
His court-appointed lawyer, Orlando Castanon, did not respond to requests for comment. According to the arrest affidavit, Rodriguez began flirting with the 17-year-old victim after they met last October. The relationship escalated throughout the school year into multiple instances of sexual intercourse and the exchange of explicit photographs and videos via cell phone, it is alleged.
A fellow student spotted the pair together through a classroom window on May 14 and reported it to staff, blowing the case wide open. Surveillance footage from John Jay High School showed the student entering Rodriguez's classroom alone and remaining inside for around ten minutes. Police launched an investigation and arrested Rodriguez on May 16. He had taught at John Jay since 2016, earning around $70,000 a year.
Barry Perez, spokesman for the Northside Independent School District, confirmed Rodriguez had been placed on immediate administrative leave. 'Our priority remains the safety and well-being of our students,' said the statement, 'and we are committed to maintaining a secure, supportive environment during this time.' The school serves some 2,100 mostly Hispanic students in a working-class area of western San Antonio.
San Antonio Police said the investigation is continuing and are appealing for anyone who believes they may have been a victim to contact the Special Victims Unit at 210-207-2313. The allegations have lit up San Antonio community forums, where most commentators have condemned a teacher who allegedly exploited his position of trust. Under the Texas Penal Code, an improper relationship between an educator and a student is a second-degree felony, regardless of whether the student consented, given the power an educator holds over those in their care.
