ARANSAS COUNTY, Tx — The parents of a minor student have filed a civil lawsuit against Rockport-Fulton Independent School District, a former teacher, the school's principal and others, alleging years of sexual abuse and institutional failure to protect a child.
The lawsuit was filed May 1 in Aransas County District Court on behalf of parents identified as John Doe and Jane Doe, acting as next friends of their minor daughter, identified only as J.D.
KRIS 6 first reported in December 2025 when Rockport Police announced the arrest of Joshua Lee Nguyen, 41, a former Maritime Science teacher and director of Texas Coastal Academy, a nonprofit maritime program connected to Rockport-Fulton High School.
Nguyen was charged with sexual assault of a child and improper relationship between an educator and student, both second-degree felonies. Police said the alleged relationship occurred during the 2024-25 school year and continued into the summer of 2025. Nguyen left the district in September 2025 and was arrested December 22. He was released on bonds totaling $100,000.
According to the Texas Education Agency, his state teaching certificate was suspended in February and is listed as an "indefinite suspension."
An indefinite suspension is triggered following the arrest for certain specified offenses, "with the suspension remaining in effect until final resolution of the related criminal matter" and a hearing to determine whether revocation is warranted, according to the TEA.
Before a civil lawsuit was filed in May, more than a dozen community members appeared at an Aransas County Navigation District meeting to urge officials to keep Nguyen employed, citing his military service, his work with students and his character.
What the lawsuit claims
The civil petition alleges a pattern of grooming that began when J.D. was 14 or 15 years old and continued until she was 17.
According to the suit, Nguyen used his teaching position and his role in Texas Coastal Academy — a nonprofit he founded that used school district property — to build trust with the student and her parents. The suit alleges he provided the parents with regular photos and updates of J.D.'s work while increasingly isolating her from others.
The lawsuit alleges Nguyen's conduct escalated through 2023, 2024 and into 2025, citing specific dates and incidents including driving the student home at night, taking her to junior prom under the guise of a club outing, and inviting her to his personal residence.
The suit further alleges that Nguyen's twin brothers — Brandon Nguyen and Brennen Nguyen, both Aransas County residents — became involved and also sexually assaulted the minor. Both brothers are named as defendants and are described in the petition as operating local businesses including a concrete company and shrimp boats.
According to the petition, a third party was allegedly offered access to the minor for sexual purposes and subsequently reported the matter to law enforcement, triggering a broader investigation into allegations of prostitution of a minor and sex trafficking. Brandon and Brennen Nguyen are described in the suit as currently under investigation.
What police say
Rockport Police Chief Nathan Anderson told KRIS 6 News the criminal investigation is ongoing and he could not release additional details.
Anderson said the department is also investigating an act of vandalism that occurred over the weekend at a home previously occupied by one of the defendants. A truck was spray painted and sugar had apparently been poured into the gas tank.
"Any kind of vigilante justice that someone thinks they are going to uphold to others is not going to work out," Anderson said. "Whoever did this had no idea what they were doing. They didn't do their research and it would have been wrong regardless of who owned the vehicle. We're going to find out who did this and this person will be served through the same justice system that Joshua Nguyen will be facing."
Allegations against the school district and principal
The lawsuit names Rockport-Fulton High School Principal Jodi Carter as a defendant, alleging she was informed by students and teachers of an inappropriate relationship between Nguyen and J.D. after September 1, 2025, but failed to notify the student's parents or report the suspected abuse to law enforcement as required under Texas law.
The suit also alleges that Nguyen had installed personal cameras in his classroom — a fact the petition claims was known to Principal Carter — and that the district did not have access to the footage.
The petition alleges the district was grossly negligent in continuing to employ Nguyen, failing to supervise his interactions with students, and failing to act on known warning signs.
The lawsuit names Rockport-Fulton ISD, Principal Carter, Joshua Nguyen, Brandon Nguyen, Brennen Nguyen and Texas Coastal Academy as defendants. Plaintiffs are seeking damages in excess of $10 million. A jury trial has been demanded.
Nguyen terminated from Aransas County Navigation District
Following his departure from Rockport-Fulton ISD, Joshua Nguyen took a position as executive director of the Aransas County Navigation District. His paid leave was extended 90 days on December 31, 2025, following his arrest.
A March 23 meeting of the navigation district drew more than a dozen speakers who urged the board to keep Nguyen employed. The meeting came roughly three months after his arrest.
His attorney, Matt Ocher, submitted letters of support from current and former co-workers, fellow veterans and former students, asking the board to enter them into the official record.
"It's no secret that Josh's employment is in peril because of an accusation followed by an arrest," Ocher told the board. "Some people love to rush to judgment. I suppose it makes them powerful in some way. To many of these folks, no amount of evidence nor any lack of evidence will dissuade their determination of guilt once an arrest is made."
Ocher also invoked a core legal principle, telling the board: "One of the most beautiful aspects of our justice system is the presumption of innocence."
"Josh Nguyen is as Fulton as they come," Ocher said. "His community owes him the deference to treat him fairly."
Several other speakers urged the board to let the legal process run its course before making an employment decision.
"Let the system play out," said one speaker who described familiarity with the county attorney's office.
The board voted to table the matter. Nguyen remained employed and paid until further notice.
At a subsequent meeting on March 31, Ocher again appeared before the navigation district board. He argued that the TEA's suspension of Nguyen's teaching certificate was not a meaningful investigation but rather a required administrative action triggered automatically by the accusation itself.
"The accusation becomes the investigation — that's not one," Ocher told the board. "That becomes the action."
Ocher urged the board to hold itself to a higher standard and said supporters who had spoken on Nguyen's behalf had no obligation to do so and had done it freely.
On March 31, 2026 — weeks before the civil lawsuit was filed — the navigation district board voted to terminate Nguyen's contract.
ACND Commissioner Long Nguyen, who is Joshua Nguyen's father, recused himself from that vote.
