Scoop27
05-20-2016, 11:14 AM
https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/2016/may/18/former-goliad-coach-found-guilty-of-harassment-cha/
From Victoria Advocate
Former Goliad head football coach Kyle Taylor was found guilty Wednesday in Goliad County Court on one count of misdemeanor harassment.
Taylor entered a plea of no contest.
Goliad County Judge Pat Calhoun fined Taylor $1,500 and ordered him to pay $231 in court costs.
He was also ordered to surrender his teaching certificate to the Texas Education Agency within five days, according to a statement from Goliad County Attorney Rob Baiamonte.
Special prosecutor Shannon Salyer conducted plea negotiations with Brent Dornburg, Taylor's attorney.
Dornburg said in a statement that Taylor decided to accept the plea "for his family, the students of Goliad ISD and the community of Goliad as a whole."
The charge is a Class B misdemeanor, which carries a maximum punishment of 180 days in jail and a fine of $2,000 fine.
A second harassment charge against Taylor was dismissed as part of the plea bargain.
Baiamonte said he wanted to make sure Taylor would not be able to go to another school district and agreed to dismiss the second case in exchange for Taylor surrendering his teaching certificate.
"When we filed the first case, our office began receiving calls from current and former students, some from as far back as the late 1990s, reporting their own similarly inappropriate interactions with Taylor," Baiamonte said in a emailed statement.
"That is why it was very important to me that Taylor surrender his teaching certificate, a result that would not have been available if we had taken this to trial. Had a jury returned a guilty verdict, the only punishment available would be a fine and/or incarceration. From our research, a conviction for a Class B misdemeanor is not grounds for a teacher to lose his certificate."
Taylor was placed on administrative leave for a second time in March and submitted his resignation in April, effective when his contract expires in July.
Taylor has since retired from coaching.
Taylor was arrested June 30, 2015, and was charged with Class B misdemeanor harassment of a Goliad High School student.
Taylor was charged for a second time with the same offense Oct. 7, after allegations from another female student were investigated by the Goliad County Sheriff's Office.
Taylor continued to maintain his innocence in the statement released by Dornburg.
"It is after much contemplation and discussion with his family, as well as those people he has great respect and admiration for, that Mr. Taylor has decided to enter this plea," the statement said. "While he has a personal desire to fight these accusations, it is his consideration for his family, the students of Goliad ISD and the community of Goliad as a whole, that persuaded him to end this battle.
"It is his hope that any divisions between students, faculty and community members that may have developed because of the accusations against him can be healed over, and that Goliad ISD, and in particular the athletes at Goliad ISD, can move forward and concentrate on developing their talents both individually and as teams."
Taylor has moved and has enrolled his sons in school at Hallettsville. Both sons played football at Goliad last season. Goliad named former Yoakum offensive coordinator Bobby Nicholson as athletic director and head football coach earlier this month.
Advocate editor Alexandria Alejandro contributed to this story.
From Victoria Advocate
Former Goliad head football coach Kyle Taylor was found guilty Wednesday in Goliad County Court on one count of misdemeanor harassment.
Taylor entered a plea of no contest.
Goliad County Judge Pat Calhoun fined Taylor $1,500 and ordered him to pay $231 in court costs.
He was also ordered to surrender his teaching certificate to the Texas Education Agency within five days, according to a statement from Goliad County Attorney Rob Baiamonte.
Special prosecutor Shannon Salyer conducted plea negotiations with Brent Dornburg, Taylor's attorney.
Dornburg said in a statement that Taylor decided to accept the plea "for his family, the students of Goliad ISD and the community of Goliad as a whole."
The charge is a Class B misdemeanor, which carries a maximum punishment of 180 days in jail and a fine of $2,000 fine.
A second harassment charge against Taylor was dismissed as part of the plea bargain.
Baiamonte said he wanted to make sure Taylor would not be able to go to another school district and agreed to dismiss the second case in exchange for Taylor surrendering his teaching certificate.
"When we filed the first case, our office began receiving calls from current and former students, some from as far back as the late 1990s, reporting their own similarly inappropriate interactions with Taylor," Baiamonte said in a emailed statement.
"That is why it was very important to me that Taylor surrender his teaching certificate, a result that would not have been available if we had taken this to trial. Had a jury returned a guilty verdict, the only punishment available would be a fine and/or incarceration. From our research, a conviction for a Class B misdemeanor is not grounds for a teacher to lose his certificate."
Taylor was placed on administrative leave for a second time in March and submitted his resignation in April, effective when his contract expires in July.
Taylor has since retired from coaching.
Taylor was arrested June 30, 2015, and was charged with Class B misdemeanor harassment of a Goliad High School student.
Taylor was charged for a second time with the same offense Oct. 7, after allegations from another female student were investigated by the Goliad County Sheriff's Office.
Taylor continued to maintain his innocence in the statement released by Dornburg.
"It is after much contemplation and discussion with his family, as well as those people he has great respect and admiration for, that Mr. Taylor has decided to enter this plea," the statement said. "While he has a personal desire to fight these accusations, it is his consideration for his family, the students of Goliad ISD and the community of Goliad as a whole, that persuaded him to end this battle.
"It is his hope that any divisions between students, faculty and community members that may have developed because of the accusations against him can be healed over, and that Goliad ISD, and in particular the athletes at Goliad ISD, can move forward and concentrate on developing their talents both individually and as teams."
Taylor has moved and has enrolled his sons in school at Hallettsville. Both sons played football at Goliad last season. Goliad named former Yoakum offensive coordinator Bobby Nicholson as athletic director and head football coach earlier this month.
Advocate editor Alexandria Alejandro contributed to this story.