Celina ISD Teacher Arrested, Accused of Driving Drunk With Student

A sixth-grade teacher at Moore Middle School allegedly pulled a young student from class without authorization, drove her to her home while intoxicated, and told the girl "not to worry about her driving and not to tell anyone," according to a newly released arrest warrant affidavit.

Jainya Bystrova Walder, 40, a sixth-grade English, language arts and reading teacher at Moore Middle School in Celina ISD, was removed from her classroom on the afternoon of Oct. 30, 2025, under suspicion of intoxication and arrested. She was charged with endangering a child, a second-degree felony. Hours after police were called to her classroom that day, a blood alcohol test showed Walder's BAC at 0.22 percent, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

The arrest warrant affidavit, signed Feb. 4 and published March 20 by the Celina Shenanigans Facebook group, details what allegedly happened before police arrived at the school. Around noon that day, the affidavit states, a Moore Middle School girl under the age of 15 was seen leaving campus with Walder. The student told investigators Walder had removed her from school without authorization and instructed her "not to worry about her driving and not to tell anyone."

Walder drove the girl to her residence, where the student reported seeing Walder consume a "red liquid." The student described Walder's driving as "unsafe," telling investigators that Walder swerved, nearly hit another car and made her fearful.

At the time of her first arrest, Walder smelled of alcohol and failed field sobriety tests. She reportedly told police she had been drinking the night before, though the affidavit indicates she continued drinking during the off-campus excursion with the student. "These facts, taken together, demonstrate the suspect was intoxicated while operating a motor vehicle with a child passenger under the age of 15," the affidavit concludes.

Walder was arrested a second time on Feb. 20, 2026, and charged with driving while intoxicated with a child passenger younger than 15 years old, a state-jail felony.

The Walder case is one of several legal and personnel matters to emerge from Celina ISD in recent months. A special education teaching aide at Celina High School, Micheale Clark, 46, was arrested Nov. 5, 2025, on a child endangerment charge after allegedly appearing impaired on campus; court records show she was held in the Collin County Jail on a $35,000 bond. Celina High School wrestling coach Neil Phillips was placed on administrative leave after district officials received a social media post on Oct. 31 regarding allegations of inappropriate conduct during his prior employment at Melissa ISD. A third individual, Caleb Elliott, 26, the son of longtime Celina HS athletic director and head football coach Bill Elliott, was charged with invasive visual recording after allegedly photographing boys changing in a school locker room.

Walder's current employment status with Celina ISD has not been publicly confirmed. No statement from the district or from Walder's legal representation has been released.