Former Hays County, Austin teacher indicted on indecency with a child charges

HAYS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — A former teacher who worked in Hays County and the Austin area was indicted on charges relating to the alleged sexual abuse of students.

Andrew Palmore, 50, was indicted by a Hays County grand jury on Sept. 14 for the following charges:

• One count of continuous sexual abuse of a child
• Two counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact

The indictment paperwork stated Palmore is being accused of sexually abusing at least two children younger than 14 between Nov. 1, 2020, and Jan. 28, 2022. The court records said he reportedly touched the children inappropriately.

Kyle Police stated in March the victims were two students in the Hays Consolidated Independent School District, but the incidents didn’t happen on school property or during school hours. Palmore was originally arrested in March related to the abuse allegations and subsequently fired.

Past reporting from KXAN said Palmore was teaching second grade at Blanco Vista Elementary in San Marcos at the time of his arrest. Hays CISD said Palmore began as a substitute in spring 2012. He subbed at Blanco Vista and Science Hall Elementary Schools, as well as Simon Middle. He was then hired full-time in August 2014 at Blanco Vista, where he worked as a fifth, fourth and second-grade teacher.

Before his time in Hays CISD, the Austin Independent School District told KXAN in the past that Palmore worked at Casey Elementary in its district from 2000 through 2004, and he was investigated then.

KXAN previously spoke with a woman who said she was a young student at Casey Elementary during that time. She said she reported Palmore after he reportedly touched her inappropriately multiple times.

According to an AISD spokesperson, Palmore resigned in May 2004, saying it was because he was relocating.

In March, other school districts in the Central Texas area also said Palmore worked for them in the past.

Del Valle ISD said Palmore worked there from 2009 to 2011 with no records of complaints or investigations involving him. Bastrop ISD said Palmore was a fourth-grade bilingual teacher at Cedar Creek Elementary from August 2012 to June 2014.