North Texas high school coach accused of misconduct told to resign or be fired
Following a misconduct allegation, former Springtown High School coach and teacher Jonathan Tye Adams chose to resign rather than have his contract terminated, according to school district records.
In a phone conversation with the Star-Telegram, Adams declined to comment. A subsequent email to Adams went unanswered. The Star-Telegram received the documents through an open records request.
On May 8, Springtown Superintendent Shane Strickland placed Adams on paid administrative leave while the district conducted an investigation into an incident with a student that occurred on May 5. Strickland was notified of the incident on May 6 by former Springtown High School Principal Andrew Hohman, according to a letter.
Hohman now works as a principal in the Decatur school district. He did not respond to a request for comment.
Adams, who coached football and girls track and served as the girls athletics coordinator, was barred from campus and from participating in school-sanctioned activities while on administrative leave.
In a May 15 email to Human Resources Director Mark Mathis, Springtown police said they had interviewed Adams and found no reason to pursue criminal charges.
What happened between Adams and a Springtown student?
The Springtown school district has not released records detailing the alleged misconduct, citing an investigation by the Texas Education Agency. A TEA spokesperson declined to comment while the investigation is ongoing.
Adams was hired in Springtown in 2004 for his first teaching position. He left after the 2005-06 school year, and returned in 2011. .
Adams is married to Springtown High School teacher Hannah Elkins Adams.
District records show Adams met with Strickland and Mathis on May 28. At that time, Strickland informed Adams the district’s legal counsel had recommended giving him the option of resigning or having his contract terminated. Adams submitted his letter of resignation on June 17.
“I have been fortunate to spend the majority of my career in the district and have enjoyed many successes,” Adams wrote. “I am grateful for the relationships and friendships that I have had throughout the last 21 years. I am thankful for the opportunities that I have been allowed during my time at Springtown I.S.D. and will continue to support all things Porcupines. I have been blessed to work for many great men and women and allowed to coach thousands of student athletes in the district. I wish everyone that I have worked for and worked with all the best.”
In a statement previously provided to the Star-Telegram, a Springtown district spokesperson said the following:
“The District received a report of misconduct involving an educator. The educator was immediately placed on administrative leave while the District promptly investigated the concern. The educator is no longer employed by the District. The District takes all reports of misconduct seriously and is committed to maintaining a safe and respectful environment for all students.”