(NewsReady.com) – A Texas coach is out of a job after he allegedly stole from the school district. What he is accused of purchasing has landed the story in the national news.
At the end of December, police arrested JD Bales, a former Bridgeport Independent School District (ISD) soccer coach. The Wise County District Attorney’s Office charged him with a third-degree felony, theft of property ranging from $2,500 to $30,000 enhanced.
Bales resigned from the school district in September after officials found charges totaling $5,455.81 on a county credit card. The money was spent at the Men’s Club of Houston while Bales was in the city attending a coaching clinic.
According to Bridgeport Police Chief Steve Stanford, the former coach originally claimed the charges were fraudulent, but his story soon fell apart. Authorities determined the charges were a misuse of taxpayer money, and for this reason, the chief decided to get the district attorney involved. Bales eventually submitted a payment for the charges.
The Bridgeport ISD hired Bales in 2018. He also worked as a special education teacher in the district. The alleged incident with the strip club wasn’t the only issue the instructor dealt with during his employment.
In May, police arrested six members of the Bridgeport High School soccer team that Bales coached. The teens were all charged with personal hazing. The police department began investigating the soccer team in March after an incident on a school bus. Investigators allegedly discovered more hazing incidents took place in a locker room and hotel.
The upperclassmen on the team were accused of restraining and attacking the athletes. The victims were reportedly as young as 14 years old. One of the alleged victims almost lost consciousness during an attack when someone placed a pillow on his face. The attackers were also accused of forcing the younger students to remove their pants.
That case is ongoing.
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