UNT coach, once at Baylor, faces charges over improper student relationship at Argyle
A former Argyle High School football coach who is now an assistant coach at the University of North Texas is accused of having an improper relationship with a student, according to police and Denton County jail records.
Coach Tate Wallis was arrested Thursday and released after posting $40,000 bond.
Wallis, who is married with two children, faces two counts of improper relationship between a student and an educator during his time as a coach at Argyle High School.
Details on the alleged crimes were not immediately available on Friday.
“There were multiple complaints,” said Argyle Independent School District Police Chief Paul Cairney in a telephone interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “A student made an outcry to a teacher who alerted police.”
Argyle school district police began an investigation in March. Wallis left the Argyle school district voluntarily in January to take the job at UNT.
Flower Mound police, officials with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services , the Children’s Advocacy Center for Denton, and the Denton County District Attorney’s Office assisted in the investigation.
“We have provided district and county counseling resources for these students who came forward to report this alleged misconduct,” according to a statement released Friday by the Argyle school district. “We also have school counselors available for students who are seeking support or assistance. Student safety is the highest priority of Argyle ISD.”
Argyle school officials also reported the incident to the Texas Education Agency.
Argyle school officials also noted there is mandatory training for employees each school year for sexual harassment and staff-to-student sexual misconduct. There are almost 500 teachers and staff members in the Argyle school district.
Wallis was the offensive coordinator for Argyle High from 2018-2019. The offenses allegedly occurred Oct. 4, 2019 and Dec. 3, 2019, according to jail records.
Wallis was hired at UNT’s quarterback coach on Jan. 31, according to the UNT football website.
WFAA-TV reported Wallis was placed on administrative leave and has been forbidden from being on the UNT campus. UNT officials are reviewing the incident.
UNT officials told WFAA that Wallis’ charges are “unrelated to his employment with the university.”
Wallis had spent seven seasons as a coach at Baylor University from 2009 until 2015, just before Bears head coach Art Briles was fired in 2016. Briles was fired after an external review found Baylor University failed to respond to reports of sexual assaults by football players.
The 2008 Tarleton State graduate also coached at Red Oak High School and North Forney High School, according to the UNT website.
Wallis led Ennis High School to the 2000 4A state championships as a quarterback.
“Lack of professional conduct is not tolerated and is a breach of teacher-student trust,” according to the statement released by Argyle school officials. “We will continue to educate our staff on the trust placed in them as educators and the consequences of this behavior.”
This story was originally published September 4, 2020 at 10:20 AM.
