The school’s police initially reported one educator’s arrest but later confirmed a second, along with the principal.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Two North Texas educators and the principal of the campus they worked at were arrested this week in connection with an ongoing investigation into child grooming and an inappropriate relationship between a student and an educator, police said.
According to a news release from the Newman International Academy (NIA) Police Department, information received by law enforcement on Feb. 6 prompted the immediate termination of NIA High School educators Ruel Barbee and Gabrielle Little.
The campus, located at 1111 Gibbins Rd. in Arlington, is a charter school for 7th through 12th grade.
On that same day, the news release stated that NIA PD obtained an arrest warrant for an improper relationship between an educator and student and served it to Barbee, later booking him into the Tarrant County Jail. However, as of Wednesday, Barbee did not appear in Tarrant County Jail records.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by WFAA, Barbee began talking to the alleged victim in May 2024 but nothing “physical or inappropriate” happened. In September 2024, Barbee and the alleged victim began speaking again, and Barbee allegedly told her he would get her phone number after she graduated, the affidavit said.
The victim told investigators that Barbee also began “gazing” at her at some point during the first semester and that they began having inappropriate contact until December, according to the affidavit.
NIA PD said a warrant was also issued for Little, who turned herself in at the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office on Feb. 10 on a charge of child grooming. However, jail records note that she is no longer in custody.
In a news release issued Wednesday, NIA PD said the principal of the campus, Rick Adams, was arrested on Feb. 12 after police obtained witness statements and evidence that gave them probable cause. Adams was arrested and booked in the Tarrant County Jail on three counts of tampering with evidence, one count of tampering with a witness and one count of failure to report abuse, NIA PD said. Both tampering charges are third-degree felonies.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by WFAA, police are accusing Adams of destroying “electronic communication from his school email accounts” that included “critical evidence” in the case.
The affidavit said Adams is believed to have had “personal knowledge of two separate improper relationships between student and educator offenses” that happened at the campus. Adams also allowed one of the suspect’s wives to come to the school and “obtain all personal property of the suspect” while the investigation was ongoing, according to the affidavit.
Adams also did not report the allegation of possible sexual contact between an educator and a student within 48 hours, as required by law, according to the affidavit.
In addition to these arrests, NIA PD said the school district placed Adams, the campus’ athletic director, the head varsity girls’ basketball coach and an assistant football coach on paid administrative leave while the investigation continues.
NIA’s Superintendent Dr. Sheba George released the following statement Wednesday:
“We will root out any exploitation or abuse of our students. There is absolutely no excuse that could justify the actions of educators who do not care about the well-being of students or who hurt them. It is my hope and prayer that other institutions responsible for the safety and well-being of children would take similar actions in response to this epidemic in our schools. At Newman International Academy, we will do what is right. We will fight for the justice of victims. We will not tolerate abuse or any action that attempts to cover up or hide it. We will deal with all allegations of misconduct of our staff fairly, but make no mistake: There is no place here at Newman where we will protect an educator or this institution’s reputation over a student’s life and the justice deserved by a victim of abuse.”
NIA PD said the investigation remains ongoing and further details will be released as permitted by law.