MISSOURI CITY, Texas (KTRK) — A contracted martial arts instructor faces two felony counts after a monthslong investigation by the Fort Bend Independent School District Police Department.
Investigators accuse Dona Pettway of sexually assaulting a minor and child pornography possession. Prosecutors believe this occurred while he was a contracted instructor at Quail Valley Middle School.
Pettway worked as an instructor for Kickstart Kids, the nonprofit founded by actor Chuck Norris that places martial arts teachers inside public schools across Texas. Since the allegations surfaced, he’s been fired from the nonprofit and removed from Quail Valley.
Pettway showcases his workout routines on his personal social media pages and posts numerous videos of him teaching kids martial arts. He’s involved in regional competitions and runs his private karate school out of a southwest Houston strip center. However, he’s currently in the Fort Bend County Jail.
“I know this guy at this school,” parent Rolando Quevedo, who has a daughter who still attends the school, said. “I see him all the time, coming over here (at a) festival or something. I never suspected this teacher liked to talk to a little girl. That’s bad.”
“What I heard was that he was talking to a girl at the school and having a sexual relationship with her,” Sol Quevedo, an eighth grader, said.
When asked about the situation, Kickstart Kids released the following statement:
“Kickstart Kids was made aware of the allegations of inappropriate communications against an instructor by Fort Bend Independent School District. We immediately removed the instructor from the classroom, and they are no longer employed by Kickstart Kids. All staff and instructors undergo a background check and receive comprehensive, regular training against abuse or misconduct toward students, all to protect young people under our care.
Kickstart Kids was founded in 1990 and prioritizes helping today’s young people. Its mission is to teach character through karate and to empower youth with core values, such as honesty, discipline and respect.
We will cooperate fully with any investigation by the school district or law enforcement.
FBISD confirmed it sent out a notice about the investigation back in June. In addition, it sent out a note to parents this week following Pettway’s arrest. Neither the school nor Kickstart Kids could immediately tell ABC13 how long Pettway worked at the school and whether he taught martial arts at any other local campuses.
The news is daunting for parents just starting the school year.
“I’m trying to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, that they’re doing the best they can to keep the kids safe, but it’s just a crazy world we live in. You have things slip through the cracks,” Mike Mitchell, a father to a sixth-grade student, said.
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