Fredericksburg coach arrested

FREDERICKSBURG, Texas (KXAN) - A Fredericksburg High School coach is being held on $100,000 bond tonight in the Gillespie County Jail, charged with having an improper relationship with a student.

Police arrested Michael G. Stevens, 42, Thursday, after hearing about the alleged relationship on Tuesday.

Stevens is a high school physics teacher, head track coach, and the ninth-grade football coach. He has been a science teacher with the Fredericksburg Independent School District since 1995.

“This was a female student, 17 or older,” Fredericksburg Police Chief Paul Oestreich told Austin News, “so she is an adult.”

On Wednesday, district officials suspended Stevens, whose wife is the principal at Fredericksburg Middle School. That suspension was pending the outcome of the investigation.

“We have a police officer who is stationed at the high school,” said Oestreich. “Earlier this week, some students came up to him and told him that this inappropriate relationship was happening.”

Oestreich said the coach was aware of the impending arrest on Thursday and showed up at the police station around 3:45 p.m. Officers then took him into custody.

“We have no indication that this kind of thing has happened before with this guy,” Oestreich continued. “As far as we know, this was the only student, and no others were involved."

In 2007, the district placed Stevens on paid leave in a personnel matter unrelated to students, of which he was later cleared. He has faced no other disciplinary actions in his time at FISD.

Public records show no prior criminal convictions. Stevens previously worked in the Sharyland and Hidalgo school districts.

Texas Penal Code says the offense of “Improper Relationship Between Educator and Student” involves sexual contact or intercourse between a student and a school employee and is a second degree felony. If convicted, Stevens could face a two to 20 year prison sentence and up to a $10,000 fine.