Molly Colleen Spears, Barbers Hill School, Texas teacher turns herself in 1 year after being indicted for having sex with male student in 2023.
A former Texas high school teacher accused of having had sex with a male student has turned herself to authorities, one year after she was indicted and a warrant issued for her arrest.
Molly Colleen Spears, 35, formerly an arts and language teacher at Barbers Hill School in Mont Belvieu, was arrested Tuesday and charged with second-degree improper relationship between educator and student over an alleged incident on June 12, 2023, according to court records.
Spears of Baytown, according to her arrest warrant is alleged to have ‘engaged in sexual contact and sexual intercourse’ with the boy. The educator is alleged to have contacted the student — whose age was not revealed — through text to ‘meet up.’
Why did it take more than a year for Barbers Hill teacher to be arrested after indictment?
Spears, who started working at the Barbers Hill Independent School District in August 2021, resigned from her position in June 2023, the district announced, KPRC 2 reported.
‘Molly Spears worked as a high school teacher for Barbers Hill ISD from August 2021 to June 2023. She resigned earlier this month,’ a district spokesperson told the outlet.
Adding, ‘Per policy, the district will not confirm any internal investigation into any matter.’
State records show Spears’ teaching certificate as having been listed as ‘inactive’ since September 2024, with the educator under investigation for alleged misconduct, according to Texas Education Agency records.
Before being hired by Barbers Hill ISD in 2020, Spears was previously employed by Coldspring ISD from 2012 to 2014 and Texas City ISD from 2014 to 2020.
The now-former teacher was indicted by a Chambers County grand jury on Feb. 8, 2024, with a warrant for her arrest issued a few days later, court records show.
It remained unclear why the former educator wasn’t taken into custody at the time.
‘Ms. Spears was first notified of the charges two days ago and we acted immediately to get the bond set up and in place,’ defense attorney Christopher L. Tritico told KPRC2.
‘I cannot speak to why it sat for so dormant for so long. That is a question for the other side of the isle (sic). Ms. Spears looks forward to having an opportunity to confront the allegations and to finally put this matter behind her.’
The Barbers Hill ISD Police Department to date has declined to publicly address the accusations against the teacher or why it had declined to pursue Spears’ arrest.
Spears surrendered to the Chambers County Jail on Tuesday and was released on $50,000 bond.
If convicted, the former educator could spend up to 20 years prison.
