“This is not over” Parents of abused Snyder student speak out following sentencing

SNYDER, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – Parents, Dariela and Jayson Pinney, delivered their victim impact statements to a packed Scurry County Courtroom on Tuesday evening. Through wavering voice and welling tears, they faced the two women charged with abusing their child, who has autism, during their time in the Snyder ISD primary school special-ed program. Because that child is a minor, they will not be identified in this story.

In their courtroom statements, the Pinneys described how the abuse had profoundly affected their lives and hurt their child. They reported that their child has been experiencing insomnia and no longer finds joy in activities they once enjoyed. Furthermore, they noted that the increased care they have dedicated to helping their child cope with these challenging emotions has resulted in both parents losing their jobs over the past year.

Former Snyder ISD employees Lexi Danielle Loveall and Rhonda Jo Dacus each received one year of probation. As part of their sentence, they are prohibited for three years from applying for, seeking, or renewing any Texas Educator Certificate, or holding any position—paid or volunteer—that would involve administrative, instructional, or support services in contact with minors. Although both pleaded guilty to their charges, the ruling falls under ‘deferred adjudication,’ meaning the charges will be sealed from their records after they complete their probation, provided they comply with all terms and conditions.

From the steps of the Scurry County Courthouse, the Pinneys, surrounded by friends, community members, and fellow parents who report that their children have experienced similar, if not more severe, forms of abuse in the special education program, delivered a public statement on the case following the proceedings. Their statement reads as follows:

“We want to begin by sincerely thanking the Snyder Police Department for their dedication and persistence in investigating the abuse of our children. We know this case required countless hours of work, and we truly appreciate the officers and investigators who refused to give up. We also want to thank Scurry County Attorney Mike Hartman and the victim’s Assistant Coordinator Darcy Robertson for taking our report seriously and ensuring that some level of accountability was pursued through misdemeanor charges. While these charges do not reflect the full extent of what our children suffered, we recognize that pressing any charges at all in a case like this is more than many families ever received, and we are grateful that they did not ignore us. However, we remain deeply disappointed in District Attorney Ben Smith for refusing to meet with the families and for declining to pursue felony charges despite the evidence and the severity of the abuse. Our children deserve full justice, and the decision not to pursue has left many families without closure. We will continue to fight for our child and for every student who was silenced and hurt. This is not over.”

A statement from Snyder ISD concerning the investigation reveals that a separate incident of alleged abuse involving the same employees and another child was reported to the district in January 2025. This incident is still under investigation. Parents gathered at the courthouse on Tuesday expressed their commitment to supporting the Pinney family and hope that more instances of abuse involving other children will be uncovered, ultimately leading to justice in those cases.