Former Travis Middle School teacher arrested for 9 counts of sex abuse against student

#people/V/Villyard/David #theme/TeachersBehavingBadly #location/school/Travis-Middle #event/arrest

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - Amarillo police have arrested a former Travis Middle School teacher for accusations of sex abuse involving one of his former eighth grade students.

47-year-old David Villyard was arrested Thursday, July 16, on nine counts of sex abuse against a child during the 2015-2016 school year.

According to a police complaint, in March of 2020, the victim disclosed to two Palo Duro High School teachers that their eighth grade drama teacher had sexually abused them. The teachers reported the students claims.

The next day, the Amarillo Police Department interviewed the victim, where they detailed the incidents that occurred around February 19, 2016.

The victim knew and identified Villyard as the person who committed the sexual acts.

The victim said the abuse took place in a small room near the drama room at Travis Middle School.

Photos taken at the school show the room and contents match what the victim described.

The felony charges against Villyard include six counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact and three counts of sexual assault of a child.

A statement from Amarillo ISD regarding the incident says:

“This person has not worked for Amarillo ISD since his resignation in 2017. We were deeply concerned when we first learned of the allegations and immediately contacted authorities. We have cooperated with law enforcement throughout the investigation and will continue to do so as needed.”