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Texas high school teacher, 35, accused of having sex with male student

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Texas high school teacher, 35, accused of having sex with male student


A Texas high school teacher accused of having sex with a male student turned herself in to police this week — one year after she was indicted and a warrant was issued for her arrest, according to reports. 

Molly Colleen Spears, 35, an arts and language teacher at Barbers Hill School in Mont Belvieu, was arrested Tuesday and charged with second-degree improper relationship between educator and student for an incident on June 12, 2023, according to court records and local outlets. 

She is also accused of contacting the student — whose age was not revealed — through text to meet up.

Molly Colleen Spears, 35, an arts and language teacher at Barbers Hill School, was arrested Tuesday. Chambers County Sheriff’s Office

Spears, who started working at the Barbers Hill Independent School District in August 2021, resigned from her position in June 2023, the district announced, KPRC 2 reported.

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“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 told the outlet at the time.

“Per policy, the district will not confirm any internal investigation into any matter.”

State records show her teaching certificate has been listed as “inactive” since September 2024, with the educator under investigation for alleged misconduct, according to Texas Education Agency records.

The now-former teacher was indicted by a Chambers County grand jury on Feb. 8, 2024, with a warrant for her arrest issued a few days later, court records show.


Spears, who started working at the Barbers Hill Independent School District in August 2021, resigned from her position in June 2023.
Spears, who started working at the Barbers Hill Independent School District in August 2021, resigned in June 2023. AP

It remains unclear why she wasn’t taken into custody at the time.

“Ms. Spears was first notified of the charges two days ago and we acted immediately to get the bond set up and in place,” defense attorney Christopher L. Tritico told KPRC2. 

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“I cannot speak to why it sat for so dormant for so long. That is a question for the other side of the isle (sic). Ms. Spears looks forward to having an opportunity to confront the allegations and to finally put this matter behind her.”

The Barbers Hill ISD Police Department did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment. 

The sicko teacher surrendered to the Chambers County Jail on Tuesday and was released on $50,000 bond, the outlet reported.

If convicted, she could spend up to 20 years behind bars.

The school district previously made headlines when a black student with dreadlocks was suspended for violating the institution’s dress code.

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Texas sues Netflix for allegedly spying on kids, addicting users

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Texas sues Netflix for allegedly spying on kids, addicting users


Netflix was sued Monday (May 11) by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who accused the streaming company of spying on children and other consumers by collecting their data without consent, and designing its platform to be addictive. Ram Nabong reports.



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Texas sues Netflix, alleges platform spied on kids and collected data

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Texas sues Netflix, alleges platform spied on kids and collected data


The state of Texas announced a lawsuit against streaming giant Netflix on Monday, accusing the company of spying on children and other consumers by collecting their data without consent and designing the platform to be addictive.

Texas claims that Netflix has falsely represented to consumers that it didn’t collect or share user data while it actually tracked and sold viewers’ habits and preferences to commercial data brokers and advertising technology companies.

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The lawsuit, filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, claims that “Netflix’s endgame is simple and lucrative: get children and families glued to the screen, harvest their data while they are stuck there, and then monetize the data for a handsome profit.”

The state of Texas announced a lawsuit against streaming giant Netflix on Monday. (Nikos Pekiaridis/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

“When you watch Netflix, Netflix watched you,” Texas added in the lawsuit.

NETFLIX CO-FOUNDER REED HASTINGS TO STEP DOWN, DEPARTURE IS ‘SPOOKING INVESTORS’

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The complaint quotes comments made by former CEO Reed Hastings who said in 2020, while he was still leading the streaming company, that “we don’t collect anything,” amid questions over Big Tech companies’ data collection practices.

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Netflix was also accused of quietly using “dark patterns” to keep users watching on its platform, such as an autoplay feature that starts a new show after a different show ends.

NETFLIX RAISES SUBSCRIPTION PRICES ACROSS ALL PLANS

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed the lawsuit. (Cheney Orr/Reuters)

Paxton said in a press release that Netflix “has built a surveillance program designed to illegally collect and profit from Texans’ personal data without their consent, and my office will do everything in our power to stop it.”

The attorney general said he’s charging Netflix under the state’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act and seeks to require Netflix to stop the unlawful collection and disclosure of user data, require Netflix to disable autoplay by default on kid’s profiles, and to secure injunctive relief and civil penalties.

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FOX Business reached out to Netflix for comment.

Reuters contributed to this report.



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6 people found dead inside a boxcar in Texas, officials say | CNN

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6 people found dead inside a boxcar in Texas, officials say | CNN


Six people were found dead inside a cargo train boxcar in a Texas city along the southern border on Sunday, officials said.

The bodies were found in a Union Pacific train at a rail yard in Laredo, around 160 miles south of San Antonio, just after 3:30 p.m. local time, said Jose Espinoza, a public information officer with the Laredo Police Department.

The circumstances of their deaths are unknown, said Laredo police spokesperson Joe Baeza, according to CNN affiliate KGNS, and an investigation is underway.

Union Pacific operates across the border and is the only railroad that services all access points into Mexico, according to the freight company’s website.

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Temperatures on Sunday afternoon in Laredo were in the low-mid 90s, though it’s unclear whether heat was a factor.

Union Pacific said it was saddened by the incident and is working closely with law enforcement to investigate.

Laredo police said they received a call around 3 p.m. from an employee at the Union Pacific rail yard, KGNS reported. The bodies were discovered during a routine rail car inspection, police said. No survivors were found.

CNN has reached out to Laredo police for more information.

“It’s a very early phase of the investigation. There’s not a lot to reveal right now,” Baeza said, KGNS reported.

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The immigration status and ages of the deceased are not yet known, Espinoza said.

US Customs and Border Protection referred CNN to the Laredo Police Department, saying “The incident remains under investigation by Laredo Police Department and Homeland Security Investigation and Texas Rangers.”

CNN has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security, HSI and the Texas Department of Public Safety.

“It’s a very unfortunate event,” Espinoza told CNN. “It was too many lives that were lost.”

This story has been updated with additional information.

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