Former Longview ISD employee sentenced to prison
Posted/updated on: January 9, 2025 at 3:22 pm
GREGG COUNTY — A former Longview ISD employee was sentenced for the abuse against special education students at J.L Everhart Elementary. According to our news partner KETK, Cynthia Denise Talley was sentenced to five years in prison on Tuesday for seven counts of injury to a child with intent to cause bodily injury and one count of unlawful restraint of a minor. Talley is one of six women arrested in 2022 after Longview ISD officials reportedly saw video footage of employees and campus administration mistreating special education students.
The other former J.L. Everhart employees also charged for mistreatment of students are Paula Hawkins Dixon, Cassandra Renee James, Linda Kaye Brown Lister, Priscilla Johnson and Cecilia Gregg.
Gregg, Dixon and Talley were “released from employment” from the district in October 2021“ immediately upon the district’s discovery of their alleged actions,” according to a statement from the district. James and Lister were both working as administrators at the time, and resigned in lieu of termination, the district said.
Dixon and Gregg were sentenced to eight years after pleading guilty to their charges. James and Lister have a status hearing set for Wednesday while Johnson has a status hearing set for Feb. 5.
