Crime & Safety
Former Atascocita Teacher Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Girl
James Douglas Welch allegedly tried to kiss and grope a girl at a Walmart in May.
HUMBLE, TX -- A 38-year-old former Atascocita High School coach and teacher has been charged with sexually assaulting a child and having an improper relationship with a student, according to Harris County court documents. James Douglas Welch allegedly tried to kiss and grope a 16-year-old girl at a Walmart in May, Click2Houston reported. Welch's alleged behavior was caught on surveillance video, Click2Houston added.
Welch resigned in May after he was questioned about his conduct, Humble ISD said in a statement. Welch was released from jail on $30,000 bond, according to court documents. He is due back in court Dec. 3. The rest of the district's statement can be seen below:
This morning, Humble ISD Police arrested former teacher James Douglas Welch, Jr. He was charged with improper relationship between an educator and a student and sexual assault of a child under the age of 17. Mr. Welch joined our campus in August 2016 and was a world geography teacher and an assistant coach for girls’ basketball. He was not employed by Humble ISD this school year.
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On May 30, 2018, we received information about the allegation. We took immediate action by launching an investigation. He resigned when questioned.
Humble ISD Police continued to investigate, presenting evidence to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office of inappropriate touching of a female student off campus.
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Humble ISD works with law enforcement for the well-being of all children. The district has zero-tolerance for inappropriate student-staff relationships. We took the additional step of informing the State Board for Educator Certification. Unacceptable behavior will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
As you can understand, in order to protect the victim’s privacy, I cannot provide additional details.
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