Hallettsville baseball coach, principal and assistant principal arrested

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HALLETTSVILLE — The principal, assistant principal and head baseball coach for a Texas high school have been arrested on felony charges they failed to report a case of child abuse or neglect.

Hallettsville police said in a statement Tuesday that the three men violated a state law requiring educators to report such cases to law enforcement.

The three were booked Tuesday into the Lavaca County jail and have since been released.

They were identified as Hallettsville High School principal Darrin Alexander Bickham, school assistant principal Scott Eugene Cottenoir and baseball coach Calvin Edward Cook. Each man is 50 years old.

Authorities say the three were indicted Monday for an offense that occurred March 4.

A statement from Hallettsville school district Superintendent Jo Ann Bludau obtained by the Victoria Advocate says the district doesn't believe the three "engaged in any wrongdoing."

Hallettsville is about halfway between Houston and San Antonio.

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From The Victoria Advocate

HALLETTSVILLE – For weeks, rumors of wrongdoing on behalf of school district officials have whispered throughout this small community.

After the high school principal, assistant principal and head baseball coach were arrested Tuesday on charges of failure to report an offense, parents expressed their anger and concern about the Hallettsville school district over social media.

But one voice that Rachael Harding is concerned about is that of a hurt child.

“Teachers have a responsibility to report any abuse,” said Harding, 29, a mother of a student in the district. “What are we telling our kids when the school district ... believe(s) teachers didn’t do anything wrong? I don’t believe that they didn’t know about it.”

According to indictment documents, head baseball coach Calvin Cook, assistant principal and head basketball coach Scott Cottenoir and principal Darrin Bickham intended to conceal abuse of a child. The three Hallettsville school district employees were indicted by a grand jury Monday. They are accused of violating the law that requires educators to report suspected child abuse or neglect.