Lamar CISD kindergarten teacher charged with indecency with a child, school district says

KATY, Texas – A kindergarten teacher at Tamarron Elementary School was arrested and charged with indecency with a child.

The felony charge against Troi Phillip Moore, 45, stems from an alleged inappropriate interaction between Moore and a Tamarron Elementary student, Lamar Consolidated Independent School District wrote in a statement to parents Tuesday.

The district said it received a report of alleged inappropriate conduct Monday and suspended Moore the same day.

“To learn that a teacher, entrusted with the safety and well-being of children, may have been involved in any sort of inappropriate conduct is very troubling,” the school district said in the statement. “Lamar CISD condemns any actions by an adult which endangers the mental or physical health of a child.”

Lamar CISD police opened an investigation into the allegation Monday. The findings of the investigation resulted in the arrest of Moore the following day, the school district said.

Moore joined the school district in August 2020. Between 2006 an 2020, Moore taught at several Fort Bend ISD elementary schools -- Scanlan Oaks Elementary, Burton Elementary and Jan Schiff Elementary -- per Moore’s LinkedIn profile.

Some parents told KPRC 2 they were devastated to hear this news.

“It’s very traumatizing, I’m very uneasy about the whole situation right now,” said parent, Vanessa Perez.

“It’s unbelievable, just unbelievable,” said parent, Juan Carlos Vidal.

The clinical director for the Nick Finnegan Counseling Center said parents can start talking to their children as young as possible and let them know the difference between good touch and bad touch.

“It’s important to start those conversations early if somebody tries to touch you in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable or you don’t feel good in your stomach, then tell an adult to tell your parents or tell somebody you trust,” said Finnegan.

View Lamar CISD’s full statement below.

Tamarron Elementary teacher Troi Moore was arrested on Tuesday evening, October 12, and charged with indecency with a child, a second-degree felony.

Lamar CISD received a report of an inappropriate interaction between a male kindergarten teacher and a student on October 11, 2021. The teacher was immediately suspended as the Tamarron Administration and Lamar CISD Police Department opened an investigation. The findings of this investigation resulted in an arrest warrant being issued and served the following evening.

Moore joined the District in August of 2020. Prior to being hired by Lamar CISD, Moore presented positive recommendations from another area school district and successfully passed a required criminal history investigation. The District was aware of no reported misconduct prior to October 11, 2021.

Lamar CISD is cooperating with Lamar CISD Police and Fort Bend County authorities as they continue an ongoing investigation.

“This incident is very troubling,” Lamar CISD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Roosevelt Nivens stated. “The families of more than 39,000 students entrust our District with the care and education of their children on a daily basis. Each day, Lamar CISD teachers and staff come to our schools, set an excellent example serving these students and do the right things for our children. So, to learn that a teacher, entrusted with the safety and well-being of our children, may have been involved in criminal conduct is just devastating.”

Counselors and additional support staff will be on site at Tamarron Elementary and the campus principal will be available to meet with families. Parents of Moore’s current and former students will be notified about details of the investigation and offered access to forensic interviews for their children.

Lamar CISD will continue to fully cooperate with law enforcement.

Lamar CISD

View Fort Bend ISD’s statement below.

Former Fort Bend ISD teacher Troi Moore who has been arrested and charged with indecency with a child in Lamar Consolidated ISD where he is currently employed, voluntarily resigned from his teaching position in FBISD during the 2019-2020 school year. FBISD will cooperate with all investigative units looking into allegations of inappropriate behavior with students in LCISD. Fort Bend ISD’s foremost priority is to protect our students’ physical, social and emotional well-being at all times.

Fort Bend ISD

About the Author:

Briana Zamora-Nipper joined the KPRC 2 digital team in 2019. When she’s not hard at work in the KPRC 2 newsroom, you can find Bri drinking away her hard earned wages at JuiceLand, running around Hermann Park, listening to crime podcasts or ransacking the magazine stand at Barnes & Noble.