By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
Former Bowie High School Principal Joanne Keeler was arrested Tuesday afternoon at her office at Valley View Elementary for a violation of the Texas Family Code related to failure to report possible child abuse.
The charge stems from a sealed grand jury indictment from the August session and charges her with professional’s failure to make a required child abuse report with the intent to conceal.
The basic charge is a Class A misdemeanor, however, the intent to conceal enhancement moves it to a state jail felony that could carry a penalty of 180 days to two years in state jail and a fine up to $10,000. The indictment states the offense was Jan. 19, 2026.
Police Chief Guy Green said the abuse incident centered on a 17-year-old high school student who was the alleged victim of AI generated pictures with his face on bodies in partial stages of undress. The chief said they would be considered obscene photos.
The victim told police friends and classmates had shown the images to him several times over three days while at school, church and school events. He said when he was shown the pictures at a basketball game on Jan. 16 and he got very angry reporting the incident to several BHS staffers and ultimately speaking to Keeler.
Lt. Bob Blackburn said he received the information on Jan. 19 and the victim said he reported it to the school staff on Jan. 16. Clay Cody, assistant principal, was the one who contacted Blackburn and he had been directed by Keeler to investigate.
The principal allegedly did not make any reports of abuse which law requires must be done within 24 hours. The report also states one of the teens involved told others to delete the photos from their phones. Cody was told Jan. 17 by Keeler about the outcry from the victim.
Blackburn said the case was turned over to the Texas Rangers due to the department’s presence on the campuses and Police Chief Guy Green’s position as a trustee on the board. He noted the law on this topic was enhanced a few years ago to add a large number of professionals including educators and many others who work with children.
The Valley View ISD posted a social media statement explaining the district is aware of an incident Tuesday involving the arrest of a staff member on campus. Keeler went to work as assistant principal at Valley View Elementary, after leaving Bowie High as the last school year ended. She had worked for BISD since August 2022.
“We want to assure our students, families, staff and community that this incident does not involve and was not the result of any act involving a VVISD student or other staff member, nor was it any act occurring on VVISD property. No students were harmed or placed in any danger as a result of this incident, the circumstances leading to it or the staff member’s employment,” reads the statement.
It continues the circumstances to the arrest were brought to the attention of district administration shortly before the arrest. The district has since initiated its own internal investigation and will cooperate with law enforcement as appropriate. Due to the active investigate involving personnel there are details that cannot be disclosed.
BISD Superintendent Donna Haile issued a statement explaining the district is aware of the news of Keeler’s indictment and arrest for failure to meet reporting requirements under the Texas Family Code.
“First, we want to make sure that our community knows that no Bowie ISD employee was alleged to have engaged in abuse or neglect involving students. An investigation was initiated by local law enforcement and assisted by the Texas Rangers and District Attorney’s office. Principal Joann Keeler submitted her resignation for the following school year. As the investigation continued, the decision was made to put her on administrative leave for the remainder of the 2025-26 year. Bowie ISD has a no tolerance policy for any potential misconduct with respect to students and will take swift and appropriate action to maintain a safe environment which nurtures student learning and growth. The district is unable to make any further statements at this time so as to avoid interfering with ongoing legal proceedings.”