Education A National Roundup

Texas Principal Shoots Himself Following Allegation of Abuse

May 03, 2005 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

The principal of a school in Texas shot and killed himself one day after a 17-year-old student accused him of sexual assault.

Marcus Cloud, 38, of Angleton High School in Brazoria County, south of Houston, was found at 9 p.m. on April 22 inside his car at a rest stop with a gunshot wound to his chest, said Waller County Sheriff Randy Smith.

The sheriff’s department had received a call from the principal’s family about his plans for suicide, Mr. Smith said. Authorities found a .38-caliber revolver in the car along with letters to his family.

The 17-year-old is a student in the Hempstead school district, west of Houston, where Mr. Cloud had worked as a teacher and principal before moving to the Angleton district in February.

Mr. Cloud had denied any wrongdoing and resigned the day of his death “to save the district embarrassment,” Superintendent Heath L. Burns of the 6,500-student Angleton Independent School District said.

Events

Teaching Profession K-12 Essentials Forum New Insights Into the Teaching Profession
Join this free virtual event to get exclusive insights from Education Week's State of Teaching project.
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Mathematics K-12 Essentials Forum Helping Students Succeed in Math

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Quiz What is a Project 2025 Author Doing at the Education Department? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Briefly Stated: June 11, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
5 min read
Education Quiz What Is the #1 Factor Boosting Students' STEM Motivation? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Briefly Stated: June 4, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read