Molly Colleen Spears, a 35-year-old arts and language teacher at Barbers Hill School in Mont Belvieu, Texas, has been arrested and charged with having an improper relationship with a male student. According to court records, Spears turned herself into police on Tuesday, nearly a year after a warrant was issued for her arrest following an indictment. According to the New York Post, the alleged incident occurred on June 12, 2023.
As per court records, Spears allegedly initiated contact with the student through text messages and a commercial online service. His age has not been disclosed. She was indicted by a Chambers County grand jury on February 8, 2024, for improper relationship with a student. A warrant for her arrest was issued on February 12, 2024. However, Spears remained at large until February 11, 2025, when she surrendered to the Chambers County Jail accompanied by her attorney.
If convicted, she could spend up to 20 years behind bars.
“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 said.
Spears’ attorney, Christopher L. Tritico, said that he is unsure why the case took over a year to move forward, but stated that his client is eager to contest the allegations against her.
“Ms. Spears was first notified of the charges two days ago and we acted immediately to get the bond set up and in place. I cannot speak to why it sat so dormant for so long. That is a question for the other side of the aisle. Ms Spears looks forward to having an opportunity to confront the allegations and to finally put this matter behind her,” Mr Tritico said.
Spears was hired by Barbers Hill ISD in 2021. She previously worked for Texas City ISD from 2014 to 2020, and Coldspring ISD from 2012 to 2014.
The disturbing phenomenon of teachers engaging in illegal sexual relationships with students is a growing concern in the United States. According to recent reports, there were over 500 reported cases of teacher misconduct between 2014 and 2019, with nearly 1 in 10 students experiencing some form of sexual misconduct by an educator. Several factors contribute to this alarming trend, including increased reporting and awareness, social media facilitating inappropriate interactions, breakdowns in teacher-student boundaries, inadequate screening and hiring practices, and insufficient teacher training on ethics and boundaries.