HISD teacher facing charges for improper relationship with student, court documents show

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A Houston Independent School District teacher was charged with two counts of improper relationship with a student after a former pupil of his came forward and revealed they had a sexual relationship, court documents allege.

Jesse Sifuentes, 40, was arrested after he allegedly had sex at least eight times with an 18-year-old student while teaching at High School for Law and Justice, records show.

The student told investigators that she met the teacher during her junior year back in 2022, but that their sexual relationship did not begin until shortly after she turned 18.

According to court records, she told investigators that she never had inappropriate conversations with Sifuentes before she turned 18, but that they did flirt with each other. The student allegedly tried to get Sifuentes to notice her by frequently spending time in his classroom, records show.

Sifuentes was reportedly the student's "off-period" teacher, a class often used for studying and completing homework, and a chess club sponsor.

The student told investigators that the first time she had a physical sexual relationship with Sifuentes was in March 2024, when they met at a park in North Houston and performed oral sex on each other in his car, according to court documents.

After that encounter, the student told detectives that she and Sifuentes allegedly had sex eight times over the course of three months.

Court documents also allege that during the investigation, detectives uncovered more than 400 messages between the two, including nude photos and videos.

According to court records, Sifuentes posted a $45,000 bond and is due in court in August.

Eyewitness News has reached out to HISD for comment. Read their full statement below:

"Houston ISD is aware of the arrest of a staff member in connection with alleged misconduct. The safety and well-being of our students are our highest priorities. As soon as the allegations came to the District's attention in April, the individual was immediately removed from the classroom and has not been on campus, around students, or involved in school activities since that time. HISD Police and district administration are actively investigating this matter. Because the investigation is ongoing, we are unable to provide additional information at this time."