Parents at a Texas private school are pulling their children out in droves after a shocking discovery: a registered sex offender with a conviction involving a minor was working on campus — and he happens to be the pastor’s son.
The controversy erupted at Heritage Christian Academy in Haslet, Texas, where parents learned that Caleb Crawford, who was convicted in 2016 of indecency with a 12-year-old girl, had been employed as an independent contractor at the school. Crawford, whose father leads the affiliated Heritage Baptist Church, is classified as a moderate risk to re-offend and must register as a sex offender for life.
Parents Feel Betrayed
“He’s supposed to be in a position where he is taking care of the church members and the school members and all these kids in the school, and he is putting them all in harm’s way, or at least potential,” said Gunderson, one of several outraged parents who spoke with local media about the situation.
While Crawford was fired after his status became widely known among parents, the dismissal has done little to quell concerns. Many parents allege that school leadership had been aware of Crawford’s conviction for years yet allowed him to work around children anyway.
For families who chose Heritage Christian Academy specifically for its safe environment, the revelation has been particularly devastating. “If someone would have told us about this four years ago, when we were looking to enroll, we would have never put our kids there,” Gunderson added.
How many children had potential contact with Crawford during his employment? That’s a question keeping parents awake at night as they grapple with what many see as a profound breach of trust.
Taking Action
The Gundersons, along with the Baily family and others, haven’t just withdrawn their children — they’ve notified law enforcement and demanded leadership changes at both the school and church. So far, there have been no reports of new misconduct by Crawford during his time at the academy.
Marlene, another concerned parent, expressed the sentiment driving many families’ decisions: “As parents, we put them in a private school because we thought it’d be the safest place for them. We trusted them.”
The situation has created confusion in the wider community, with some initially connecting this case to another Texas man with a similar name. In an unrelated case, a 26-year-old Caleb Layne Crawford from Texarkana recently pleaded guilty to federal charges of producing child pornography involving a child under 12, and now faces 15 to 30 years in prison.
While school officials have remained largely quiet about the controversy, the exodus of students continues. For many families, the damage to their trust can’t be undone — regardless of what changes might follow.
“We thought we were doing the right thing,” one parent said, requesting anonymity. “Now we’re left wondering who we can trust with our children’s safety.”
