New Information on Arp Counselor Accused of Improper Relationship

ARP — New details have emerged after the Arp Elementary School counselor was arrested. According to KETK, Barbara Lynn Orpineda, 31, of Arp, was arrested Wednesday by the Arp Police Department on two counts of improper relationship between a student and educator and two counts of sexual assault of a child. She was booked into the Smith County Jail on $200,000. She has since been released. It’s uncertain whether the accusations happened on school grounds or inside Orpineda’s home or elsewhere. The accused counselor was a former teacher at Arp Middle School. She recently transferred to the elementary school and has been working on a yearly probationary period without being certified through the state.

Prior to becoming the Arp Elementary counselor, Orpineda taught seventh grade math for four years. Her website claims is a member of the Texas Counselors Association and the American School Counseling Association. However, Jan Friese, Executive Director of the Texas Counseling Association, says Orpineda’s membership ended in April 2017 and she is no longer a member of the TCA. Earlier this year, Chris Stewart, who served as a coach at Arp ISD, resigned amid allegations he was sending inappropriate text messages to female students.