Texas School Psychologist Brandon T. McElveen Sentenced to Prison for Indecency with Children

September 20, 2019

A March 4, 2019 statement on the website of the KIPP Texas Public Schools was the only announcement published regarding the criminal conviction of Brandon McElveen. (KIPP stands for Knowledge is Power Program; it is a nationwide network of free open-enrollment college preparatory schools in low income communities throughout the U.S.)

KIPP Houston Regional Superintendent Daniel Caesar wrote:

“We were informed of the guilty plea made today by former counselor Brandon McElveen, and we hope this is a step toward healing for all those harmed by the deplorable and unacceptable breaches of trust by this individual. We will continue to support law enforcement and the District Attorney’s Office throughout this matter so that justice is served. Our hearts go out to any member of the KIPP community who may have been impacted by abuse. We encourage those who have information about abuse of any kind to contact the authorities.”

McElveen, who was licensed in the state of Texas as a Specialist in School Psychology, was employed by KIPP Explore Academy in Houston, was arrested by Victoria County Sheriffs on October 18, 2017 on charges of indecency with a child.

On October 26, 2017, Victoria County Sheriffs arrested McElveen a second time on two additional counts of indecency with a child.

The three counts were linked to cases involving three different young girls. All the alleged incidents were said to have taken place in McElveen's office when he worked as a counselor at KIPP Explorer Academy. In each case, McElveen took the girls out of their classrooms for alleged health checks. The allegations went back as far as 2012, and continue to 2017. 

According to court records, several KIPP Explore Academy employees told police that McElveen, then 33, took an eight-year-old student out of class and into his office for an extended period of time on multiple occasions. The records state that McElveen told the child to take off her clothes so he could check for lice. He then reportedly touched the girl's private parts and had her touch his. The child in that incident told investigators the incidents happened when she was in the second grade.

Court documents state that a seven-year-old girl reported that McElveen pulled her out of class and into his office, asking if she could keep a secret because he was going to touch her “middle part.” She told police McElveen had her sit on his lap while he touched her. The alleged abuse happened multiple times, beginning in March 2017 when the girl was in first grade, and continuing into the second grade.

An 11-year-old girl described similar incidents with McElveen, telling police she was touched in his office once or twice a week, starting when she was in first grade and continuing until she was in fourth grade. Court documents state the abuse began about the time the victim's grandmother died, and continued through her parents' divorce. She said McElveen would have her unzip her pants and pull down her underwear to "check for bruises." She told police the door would be closed and McElveen would pull her off his lap any time he heard someone approaching.

ABC13 in Houston stated that sources reported to them that there were more alleged victims and that more charges were expected to be filed. However, data from the Texas Department of Corrections shows that McElveen was ultimately found guilty on two felony counts of indecency with a child, for offenses he committed on September 26, 2017 and November 4, 2012.

On May 24, 2018 McElveen resigned his psychologist’s license to the Texas State Board of Examiners in Psychologist in lieu of adjudication.

He was sentenced June 12, 2019 to 10 years in prison on each count.

Source: “Statement regarding former counselor,” KIPP Texas Public Schools website, March 4, 2019; “Former KIPP Academy school counselor now charged with 2nd sex crime,” ABC-13 KRTK News, October 27, 2017; “Girls detail how school counselor allegedly molested them,” ABC-13 KRTK News, October 30, 2017; Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists Board Disciplinary Sanctions updated May 2018, entry on McElveen, p. 2; and Offender Information Details on McElveen, Brandon Thomas, Texas Department of Corrections website.