TYLER, TX (EAST TEXAS NEWS) – A Smith County district judge on Wednesday approved outpatient treatment in Canton for a former Tyler Independent School District substitute teacher after she was found unfit to stand trial.
Karen Dunn, 48, of Tyler, is charged with sexually assaulting a minor and engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a student. The court had previously ruled Dunn unfit to stand trial, and she has since remained hospitalized at a state hospital.
District Judge Taylor Heaton approved what he described as an “unusual situation” after prosecutors and defense attorneys said the state hospital was not helping and agreed to send Dunn to outpatient treatment at the Andrews Center in Canton.
“We have explored all options,” Angela Faulkner, the prosecutor, told the court.
Dunn’s bond conditions include the stipulation that she cannot work anywhere where there are children.
Dunn was arrested in May 2023 while working at Ramsey Elementary School as a substitute teacher, according to an affidavit obtained by KLTV.
