SPLENDORA, Texas – A teacher at Splendora High School is facing charges after falsely reporting an assault that prompted a large law enforcement response and a temporary campus lockdown Thursday morning, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.
The teacher was identified as Nicole Truelove, 53. She has been charged with filing a false report and tampering with evidence.
Truelove was booked into the Montgomery County Jail on Thursday afternoon. She is scheduled to appear before a judge on Friday at 8:30 a.m.
According to law enforcement, Truelove allegedly fabricated the incident and caused her own injuries using a blade or knife-like object.
KPRC 2’s Bryce Newberry confirmed that the Texas Education Agency has officially opened an investigation into Truelove.
Splendora ISD said it will continue communicating directly with parents as the investigation remains ongoing.
How the situation unfolded
Officials said teachers can activate a wearable alarm, which triggers a campus-wide lockdown.
Rick Bass, assistant chief of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, said the alarm was activated around 8:45 a.m., bringing three school resource officers to the scene. The campus was immediately placed on lockdown as a precaution.
At one point, more than 80 law enforcement officers responded to the school as deputies worked to secure the campus and investigate what was initially reported as an assault involving students.
Authorities later transitioned the campus from a lockdown to a “secure hold,” allowing classes to continue while hallways were kept clear.
Investigators determined that no assault involving students had occurred. No students were injured, and officials confirmed there was no ongoing threat to the campus or the public.
Parents gathered outside the school during the incident, waiting to pick up their children. Students were later released through the back of the school.
The chaotic scene inside the school
Students were rushed into classrooms and told to hide as the situation unfolded.
While speaking with KPRC 2’s Ricky Munoz, the husband of a Splendora High School teacher said the situation was alarming.
“My wife sent me a message; said, ‘I love you,’” he said. “Just out of the blue saying, ‘I love you.’ That’s when I noticed all the caution tape.”
A Splendora mother said her daughter was pulled from the hallway by a staff member during a passing period after the school entered secure mode.
The teacher then began stacking chairs in front of the classroom door.
“She was grabbed by another teacher and pulled into a classroom that is not one of hers and was told to stand in the corner with the lights off,” the mother said.
Rumors quickly spread among parents, including unconfirmed reports of a gun on campus.
“I did hear, from some other parents, that a student possibly had a gun,” the mother told KPRC 2.
The rumors weren’t limited to parents. Another mother said she learned about the situation after her daughter called, believing there was a shooting on campus.
“I was in the middle of work when I got her call,” the mother said. “She whispered and said, ‘Mom, I’m in a closet. There’s a shooter in the school.’”
The parent said she couldn’t reach the school and had to rely on social media for updates.
“I called the school probably 10 times back-to-back and I never got an answer,” she said. “Then, finally, I got an email saying that something was going on at the school.”
More on teacher’s background
Officials said Truelove had been employed at Splendora High School for one year.
She has also made headlines in the past.
In 2017, she was involved in a federal civil rights lawsuit, claiming the state did not protect her after she was allegedly sexually assaulted by inmates, law enforcement sources confirmed to KPRC 2.
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The inmate accused in the 2017 case was acquitted of aggravated sexual assault, records show but was found guilty of assault of a public servant and retaliation.
According to court records obtained by KPRC 2, the inmate also filed a complaint against Truelove, claiming she provided “misleading information” to law enforcement related to the allegations.
Truelove later sued the state, and a settlement was reached in the case.