Lehman High School guest teacher arrested for alleged aggravated assault

A Lehman High School guest teacher was fired and arrested for an alleged aggravated assault.. 

Tiffani Shadell Lankford, 32, was arrested and charged with Aggravated Assault — a second degree felony — on Friday, the Hays County Sheriff's Office said. Hays CISD also announced that Lankford had been fired following Friday’s incident. 

“Under no circumstance is that behavior tolerated at Lehman High School or in Hays CISD,” Lehman Principal Karen Zuniga said in a statement. “We take the safety and security of our students seriously. We took swift action when this incident occurred and will do everything necessary to protect our students.”

At approximately 3:44 p.m. on Friday, a Hays County Sheriff’s Office school resource officer received information of an assault that occurred in a classroom at Lehman High School in Kyle, officials said. 

The incident involved a 15-year-old female student and Lankford, police said. Deputies arrived at the high school and interviewed multiple students and reviewed several videos, officials said. Lankford was then placed in custody. The victim was released to her father who took her to a local hospital for evaluation, the sheriff’s office said. 

Lankford was transported to the Hays County Jail and later released on a $10,000 bond. 

Lankford began working for the school district on Aug. 30, 2019 when she underwent orientation training, Hays CISD said. Her first time working a substitute for the district was on Sept. 13. She worked 18 times, including Friday. 

“We are appalled at the actions of this former employee,” Hays CISD Chief Communication Officer Tim Savoy said in a statement. “There is absolutely no excuse or circumstance that can justify what you see unfold on the video. It is unconscionable what this adult did to one of our students.”

The investigation into the incident is ongoing and anyone with information regarding the case is asked to contact the Hays County Sheriff’s Office at 512-393-7896. Information may also be submitted electronically at https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=224&C=56899A. All calls are confidential and callers will remain anonymous. You do not have to give your name and you will not have to testify in court.