CHAMBERS COUNTY, Texas – A former Barbers Hill High School teacher is back behind bars after facing new charges related to having sex with a student back in 2023.
Molly Colleen Spears was arrested on Feb. 27 on two counts of sexual assault of a child.
This arrest is the latest in a string of legal proceedings related to the incident. On Feb. 8 of 2024, Spears was indicted by a Chambers County grand jury for the charge of improper relationship with a student. A warrant for her arrest was issued on four days later, however, Spears was not arrested until Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, when her attorney said she self-surrendered to the Chambers County Jail.
Spears got out of jail on the improper relationship charge earlier this month after posting a $50,000 bond. On the two new charges, her bond has been set at $200,000, according to Mont Belvieu Police Department. MBPD arrested Spears on the new charges Thursday morning.
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Background on the incident
Spears is accused of engaging in sexual contact and intercourse with a male student during her time as a teacher at Barbers Hill High School. She solicited the contact by text message and through a commercial online service to meet the student, according to court records.
KPRC 2 has been aware of the allegations against Spears since June of 2023, when Barbers Hill ISD issued the following statement:
“Molly Spears worked as a high school teacher for Barbers Hill ISD from August 2021 to June 2023. She resigned earlier this month. Per policy, the district will not confirm any internal investigation into any matter,” a district spokesperson wrote in an email.
At the time, no details confirming the nature of the allegations against Spears were released. She was previously listed as a high school language arts teacher.
After her initial arrest, Spears’ defense attorney, Christopher L. Tritico, issued the following statement:
“Ms. Spears was first notified of the charges two days ago and we acted immediately to get the bond set up and in place. I cannot speak to why it sat for so dormant for so long. That is a question for the other side of the isle. Ms. Spears looks forward to having an opportunity to confront the allegations and to finally put this matter behind her.”
KPRC 2 has reached out to Tritico again in light of the new charges.
According to Texas Education Agency records, Spears is currently under investigation for an allegation of misconduct but no formal determination has been made.
Before being hired by Barbers Hill ISD in 2020, Spears was previously employed by Coldspring ISD from 2012 to 2014 and Texas City ISD from 2014 to 2020.
