Katy teacher quits after texting probe

HOUSTON In an age now where Facebook, MySpace, PDA's and iPhones have become ubiquitous, many teachers are finding themselves in a very gray area, one where the line between what is professional and what is personal is blurred.

Katy ISD has clarified that line, making it clear that communicating with students in certain ways outside of class crosses that line.

Seven Lakes High School world history teacher Diedre Cook quit in mid-February, just a week after being placed on administrative leave by the Katy Independent School District.

A KISD spokesperson tells Eyewitness News Cook sent text messages to more than one student, which were "outside the bounds of appropriate teacher-student communication."

"She was a cool teacher all in all though," former Seven Lakes High School student Michael Gevarra said.."

Gevarra remember Cook well.

"She was just a little bit too friendly," he said.

Katy ISD's spokesperson though says the messages were "not sexual in nature," we're told any texting by teacher to student is a violation of district policy.

"It depends what she texted him about," former Seven Lakes student Julio Cisne said.

That's the one thing many at the school want to know. What did Cook text? Katy ISD won't tell us about the content of the messages.

"If a teacher is texting a student, and it's a homework, or an assignment they need to, I don't have a problem with that," mother Pam Koshak said.

Some parents like Koshak, who's a former teacher, want to give Cook the benefit of the doubt.

"If it was something personal, and it was something inappropriate, then yes, I'd have a problem with that," she said.

We went to Cook's home Friday night to give her a chance to explain, but a person who claimed to be a babysitter said Cook wasn't home.

But substitute teacher Clarissa Nadrie says no explanation matters. She says these days, teachers should just know better.

"You don't do it," Nadrie said.

Katy ISD says Cook was investigated by Katy ISD police, and she was found to have done nothing illegal, so she was not arrested and not charged. She quit her job after the investigation began.

Cook has not responded to our requests.