KATY, TX (Covering Katy News) - Former Paetow High School football coach and athletic coordinator Lonnie Teagle is charged with two felonies related to his employment at Paetow High School.
Teagle is free on bond after pleading not guilty to charges of improper relationship with a student and indecency with a child. Investigators say those actions happened on the Paetow campus.
The charges were filed Monday, November 14. Teagle reportedly made his court appearance on Monday, November 21, and posted bond.
Newly released court documents reveal similar complaints against Teagle at the Denton school district, where students claimed he commented on their breasts and asked for back rubs. Those acts allegedly happened in October 2021.
Court documents say a Grand Jury subpoena compelled Denton ISD to reveal the students complaints to investigators.
After he left Denton, he came to Paetow High School. Students say he touched them inappropriately on their front and rear private areas. The girls say Teagle's actions started in September. Teagle resigned on October 11 after administrators investigated the allegations.
"The defendant [Teagle] asked if they had belly button rings and if they liked to have sexual intercourse," a court document says.
The document also says he'd ask about the girl's dating life.
Katy ISD hired Teagle in April 2022, and he resigned in October. The district hoped he would lead Paetow High to another championship. Instead, a court document says complaints about his behavior started in September from three 15-year-old girls and two 16-year-old girls. The legal document also says the high school football coach would frequently visit adjacent Stockdick Junior High School. Prosecutors say his visits were unrelated to his high school coach and athletic coordinator role and made the adult staffers concerned.
"Three staff members from [the] junior high came forward and said that Coach Teagle made them feel uncomfortable on multiple occasions due to his inappropriate comments, touching, and mannerisms," the legal document said. "His behavior at the Junior high was described as not appropriate for the workplace," the court document said.
Bond was set at $10,000 for the improper relationship charge and a $20,000 bond for the indecency charge.
Teagle's next court appearance is on February 28, 2023.
Covering Katy asked the district for a response and the district provided the following:
After several weeks of interagency investigations, the District has been informed by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office that it has accepted charges on former football coach, Lonnie Teagle. The District takes all potential safety concerns seriously. When made aware of any allegation concerning a staff member, the individual is immediately removed from their assignment(s), while District personnel work swiftly with law enforcement and other agencies to conduct a thorough investigation to ensure the safety and well-being of all students. Any further inquiries regarding the case are directed to the Harris County DA’s Office.