A Seabrook man's arrest on child sexual abuse charges at a Friendswood private school put the Clear Lake area at the center of a statewide debate this week, as Gov. Greg Abbott proposed locking up educators convicted of sexual misconduct with students for at least 10 years with no option for probation.
Abbott announced the proposal Tuesday, Aug. 11, at a roundtable in Lubbock with survivors and law enforcement. The Texas Education Agency reported more than 1,600 allegations of inappropriate educator-student relationships last year, nearly triple the prior year, and has already opened nearly 1,800 investigations in the current fiscal year, according to KPRC 2.
The announcement came days after Friendswood police arrested Lewis Connor Stott, 32, of Seabrook on Aug. 7 and charged him with continuous sexual abuse of a young child under 14, a first-degree felony. Stott worked at The Galloway School, a private campus at 3200 W. Bay Area Blvd. in Friendswood, from 2020 until he was separated from the school in May, according to Houston attorney Christopher L. Tritico, who represents the school. Police said the warrant stems from allegations of sexual abuse during Stott's employment there, KPRC 2 reported.
Stott was released on a $100,000 bond. Friendswood police said they believe there may be additional victims and urged parents to call 281-996-3300.
The Galloway School is not part of Clear Creek ISD, but it sits in the same Friendswood community the district serves. CCISD's coverage area includes parts of Friendswood, Seabrook, Nassau Bay, Webster and Clear Lake Shores. The district opened classes Wednesday, Aug. 12, with no public statement from Superintendent Karen Engle or other CCISD officials on Abbott's proposal or the Stott case.
What the proposal would change
Under current law, an improper relationship between an educator and a student is a second-degree felony carrying two to 20 years. Defendants can receive probation or deferred adjudication instead of prison time.
Abbott's proposal would eliminate those alternatives. Convicted educators would serve at least 10 years, could not receive parole before that term is served and would be required to register as sex offenders.
"In the past, some teachers have had sex with students and got only probation. Not anymore in Texas," Abbott said at the Aug. 11 roundtable.
Two Houston-area cases illustrate the gap: former Brazoswood High School teacher Brandyn Hargrove received 10 years of probation and no prison time after pleading guilty to 12 felony counts of sexual assault and indecency involving a student. Former Houston ISD teacher Dale Vanwright received 10 years of deferred-adjudication probation after pleading guilty to indecency with a child.
Legislative path
The proposal is not yet law. Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows attended the Lubbock announcement and pledged the House would work with Abbott during the 2027 legislative session to pass the measure, according to Texas Scorecard.
Earlier this year, Education Commissioner Mike Morath appointed Levi Fuller as the state's first Inspector General for Educator Misconduct. A separate law now in effect, HB 4623, allows families to file civil claims against school districts whose employees commit sexual misconduct or whose administrators fail to report suspected abuse.
Terri Miller, president of the National Center to Stop Educator Sexual Abuse, Misconduct and Exploitation, said stronger penalties matter but urged districts to also adopt comprehensive employment-history reviews to prevent what advocates call "passing the trash," where employees suspected of misconduct quietly resign and get hired elsewhere.
The next legislative session begins in January 2027.
