Former student of drama teacher arrested for sexual assault says there was ‘constant flirting’

Rucks Russell

Chelsi Jump and her mom Brandi Wright say they knew a drama teacher had gotten out of line at the Houston Family Arts Center long before he was arrested for having sex with an underage girl.

“There was just constant flirting with him and all of his students,” said Jump. “It was always a weird relationship from the beginning.”

Jump says she was one of Ilich Guardiola’s students at HFAC and that she was just 17 when he started coming on to her through text messages.

“There was one where he was laying in bed with no shirt on, and he said, ‘What up my Houston [expletive]’,” added Jump.

She says she rebuffed his advances, but claims it was common knowledge the self-described “Honduran Hotcake” was having sex with some of the other girls. Jump withdrew from the program and told her mom.

“I immediately contacted Houston Family Arts Center, talked to one of the employees there and gave them all the information I had received from her,” said Wright.

Wright says she also filed a complaint with CPS about a year ago, but claims nothing was done. Last week Guardiola was charged with sexual assault of a child.

That child was a 16-year-old student who he married in Vegas just two weeks before police arrested him.

The girl’s mother was a witness at the wedding.

Investigators believe there may be more victims who have yet to come forward.

Jump and Wright worry about that too.

“Just talk to your children,” said Wright. “Talk to your kids if they’ve gone to this academy and make them know that they can come forward.”

Executive Director of HFAC Bob Clark released the following statement:

“The wellbeing of our students is always our primary concern. We took this accusation very seriously. We immediately conducted an internal investigation which included a formal discussion with the students, their parents and the teacher, and found no conclusive evidence of inappropriate activity. After the investigation, the parents allowed the students to continue participation in scheduled classes, rehearsals and shows.”

Source: khou