Molly Colleen Spears is a former Barbers Hill High School language arts teacher in Chambers County, Texas, who faces felony charges of sexual assault of a child and improper relationship between an educator and student over allegations that she had sexual contact with a 15-year-old male student. She is also a defendant, along with Barbers Hill Independent School District, in a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by the student’s parents in July 2025.1Click2Houston. Lawsuit Filed Against Barbers Hill ISD Teacher Accused of Having Sexual Relationship With Student
Spears, 35, of Baytown, taught at Barbers Hill ISD from August 2021 until her resignation in June 2023, the same month the district became aware of allegations against her.2Baytown Sun. Teacher Texted Student for Sex, Docs Say She was teaching ninth-grade English in the fall of 2022.
What She Is Accused Of
Court records allege Spears used text messages and a commercial online service to solicit sexual contact with a male student who was 15 at the time.3Click2Houston. Former Barbers Hill High School Teacher Re-Arrested for Charges Related to Having Sex With Student The indictment cites conduct on or about June 12, 2023, though other evidence points to incidents across 2022 and 2023.2Baytown Sun. Teacher Texted Student for Sex, Docs Say
The federal lawsuit filed by the student’s parents alleges Spears coerced, manipulated, and raped the student, with multiple encounters taking place in a classroom closet and near the student’s home.1Click2Houston. Lawsuit Filed Against Barbers Hill ISD Teacher Accused of Having Sexual Relationship With Student
The Criminal Case
A Chambers County grand jury indicted Spears on February 8, 2024, on a charge of improper relationship between an educator and student.4Click2Houston. Former Barbers Hill High School Teacher Accused of Having Sex With Student An arrest warrant issued four days later sat unserved for nearly a year. Her attorney, Christopher L. Tritico, said neither he nor Spears learned of the warrant until a detective visited her home in early February 2025.2Baytown Sun. Teacher Texted Student for Sex, Docs Say She self-surrendered on February 11, 2025, and posted a $50,000 bond.
Weeks later, the Chambers County District Attorney’s Office asked Mont Belvieu police to investigate additional evidence of possible sexual assault tied to incidents in 2022 and 2023.5Bluebonnet News. Baytown Woman Charged With Child Sexual Assault in Chambers County Detectives obtained two separate felony warrants for sexual assault of a child on February 26, 2025.6FOX 4 Beaumont. Former Barbers Hill Teacher Now Charged With Sexual Assault of a Child Spears was arrested the next morning and taken to the Chambers County Jail. Bond on the two new warrants was set at $100,000 each.
What the Charges Carry Under Texas Law
Improper relationship between an educator and student, under Texas Penal Code ยง 21.12, is a second-degree felony. The statute applies to public or private school employees who engage in sexual contact or intercourse with a student enrolled at their school, regardless of the student’s age.7FindLaw. Texas Penal Code Section 21.12, Improper Relationship Between Educator and Student Sexual assault of a child is also a second-degree felony, punishable by two to twenty years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 per count.8Texas Attorney General. Texas Penal Code Offenses by Punishment Range
The Federal Lawsuit Against Spears and Barbers Hill ISD
The parents filed suit in federal court on July 3, 2025, naming Spears and the school district. The complaint alleges Spears coerced, manipulated, and sexually assaulted the student, and that the district failed to report the abuse once officials learned of it and did not investigate or intervene.1Click2Houston. Lawsuit Filed Against Barbers Hill ISD Teacher Accused of Having Sexual Relationship With Student
When the student returned to school in 2023, according to the suit, he was teased and bullied about the relationship and ultimately withdrew from the district. The lawsuit claims physical, emotional, and financial harm.
What the District Has Said
Superintendent Greg Poole said the district became aware of the allegation and “acted on that information immediately,” after which Spears resigned and the district reported the matter to the proper authorities.9The Vindicator. Former BH Teacher Facing Additional Charges A district spokesperson confirmed the resignation in June 2023 but declined to confirm any internal investigation, citing policy.1Click2Houston. Lawsuit Filed Against Barbers Hill ISD Teacher Accused of Having Sexual Relationship With Student
Defense Position and Where the Case Stands
Tritico said after the February 2025 surrender that Spears “looks forward to having an opportunity to confront the allegations and to finally put this matter behind her.”10New York Post. Texas High School Teacher Re-Arrested for Sexually Assaulting a Male Student He said he had no explanation for the year-long gap between the indictment and her arrest.2Baytown Sun. Teacher Texted Student for Sex, Docs Say
As of the most recent reporting in mid-2025, no trial date had been set and no plea agreement had been announced. Spears’s teaching certificates are marked inactive by the Texas Education Agency, and she remains under a TEA misconduct investigation with no formal sanctions issued.2Baytown Sun. Teacher Texted Student for Sex, Docs Say