Former Pasadena High School ROTC instructor in Kleberg County jail awaiting transfer

AWAITING TRANSFER: Former Pasadena High School ROTC instructor Ernesto Montemayor, 55, was arrested June 13 and remains in Kleberg County jail awaiting transfer to Harris County. - Pasadena ISD

A former Pasadena High School ROTC instructor is in jail in Kleberg County on charges he had an affair with one of his students.

Ernesto Montemayor, 55, was arrested Monday and remains in Kleberg County jail awaiting transfer to Harris County.

The Harris County grand jury indicted him last week on one count of sexual assault of a child, and one count of improper relationship between an educator and a student, according to a news release from the school district. If convicted he could face from two to 20 years in prison on each count.

Pasadena ISD does a thorough background check on each employee and Montemayor's was clear, said Al Carter, a spokesman for the district.

"We do a police-related background check through (drivers license) numbers," Carter said. "We also have a very extensive fingerprinting process that all employees go through. People have to come out squeaky clean or they don't get hired here."

Carter said the administration became aware of concerns Montemayor was showing a student in his ROTC classes preferential treatment and began an investigation early this year. The student, a 16-year-old, told Pasadena ISD police a sexual affair had occurred. Pasadena ISD officials confronted Montemayor on Feb. 18. He resigned at that point, rather than be fired, Carter said.