This past week has seen several teachers across Texas arrested on allegations of having sexual relationships with students, engaging in online solicitation of a minor for sex, and possessing child pornography.
As covered extensively by The Dallas Express, the past year or so has seen a number of scandals involving public school teachers and staffers come to light, including some in Dallas ISD. Such accusations of misconduct have led to calls for more transparency in state authorities’ handling of such reports, as well as improved background check procedures during the hiring process.
This week’s influx of scandals involving educators from San Antonio, Perryton, Houston, and Arlington may prompt further calls to action.
In San Antonio, Andrew Carter McCown, a former Robinson High School coach and teacher, is facing possible legal consequences after being accused of engaging in a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student from Roosevelt High School. San Antonio police arrested the 27-year-old on Tuesday after receiving a report from North East ISD school officials and interviewing the alleged victim, KWTX News reported.
McCown, now on administrative leave, previously faced legal issues related to drunk driving and weapons charges. Investigators are extending their inquiry to his previous employment history to see if there are other victims.
Meanwhile, in Perryton, a former athletic director and head football coach, Cole Underwood, was arrested and charged with sexual assault of a child on Thursday, per The Amarillo Globe-News. The victim is said to be a Perryton High School student under the age of 17. Prompted by the reports of misconduct, Perryton ISD swiftly placed Underwood on administrative leave before he submitted his resignation.
Last Friday, Michael Bourquin, a teacher at the Houston-area charter Mangum Elementary School, was arrested for allegedly soliciting a minor for sex online. Now booked at the Brazoria County jail on this and other charges related to the alleged possession of child pornography, he has been given a $175,000 bond.
According to reports, Bourquin came to the attention of the Manvel Police Department after police received a tip that Bourquin had been having sexually explicit conversations with a 16-year-old boy via Snapchat and Telegram since October and that they planned to meet in person for sex. The 54-year-old suspect was allegedly aware of the minor’s age and told investigators that the discussions were part of a “fantasy/teacher role-playing as far as he was concerned,” per Click2Houston.
After executing a search warrant, police allegedly found 105 photos and one video of illegal pornography on Bourquin’s phone. Although his teaching certificate remains valid until May 2028, his former employer, Southwest Public Schools, confirmed in a statement that he was no longer an educator there, per Texas Scorecard.
Although an arrest has not yet been made, an unnamed teacher was terminated this Tuesday after the Mansfield ISD school board moved to do so “out of an abundance of caution” after disturbing allegations came to light, a district representative said in a statement to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The unidentified teacher allegedly had a relationship with at least one student at Timberview High School in Arlington. Mansfield ISD police are investigating the claims, and district parents have been made aware of the situation.
“We understand how disturbing these accusations are to you as parents. They are disturbing to us as educators as well,” the district wrote to parents, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
