Former Lampasas High School basketball coach Mark Allen Myers has been arrested on misdemeanor charges in connection with reports made in early January of “concerning communications” between himself and students.
Mark Allen Myers, 61, turned himself in to the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office early Thursday morning after warrants were issued by Lampasas Police for his arrest on two charges of official oppression.
Burnet County Sheriff’s Office officials said Myers walked into the Burnet County Jail at 6:10 a.m. and was booked at 6:53 a.m. He was released the same day on attorney bond of $4,000.
Lampasas Police Chief Jody Cummings confirmed the charges, both listed as Class A misdemeanors, were issued through a Lampasas Police Department warrant. These accusations stemmed from reports made to Lampasas ISD on Jan. 9 of inappropriate communications between Myers and a student.
Cummings issued this statement about the arrest:
“Concerning the previous information that Lampasas ISD provided to the Lampasas Police on Jan. 9, additional information developed. An LPD Investigator was assigned. After additional consultation with the Lampasas County Attorney's Office and at their recommendation two warrants, each for Official Oppression, Class A misdemeanors, were acquired charging [Myers].”
When the reports of “concerning communications” between Myers and LHS students were received, the district notified the Lampasas Police Department and Texas Education Agency immediately, LISD officials said. The police department did a brief investigation and, at that time, determined a crime had not taken place. Police then stepped back to allow LISD to further investigate the issue. The investigation was then turned over to the TEA.
While Lampasas ISD Superintendent Dr. Chane Rascoe said he had heard of Myers’ arrest, the investigation regarding “concerning communications” between the coach and students is still underway with TEA investigators.
“We had not heard any additional information about it,” Rascoe said.
Myers submitted his resignation to Lampasas ISD on Jan. 16. It will be effective at the end of the spring semester in May, which is Myers’ contracted time period, the superintendent said.
In January, prior to Myers’ resignation, district officials said the longtime basketball coach was on paid administrative leave and would not return to the position he has held for six years.
Myers, who had a 40-year career as a basketball coach, was hired by Lampasas High School as head girls’ basketball coach in 2017 and achieved his 900th victory while employed with the school in December 2020.
According to the Texas Penal Code, the charge of official oppression is when a public servant acting within his or her office intentionally subjects another to mistreatment or unlawful arrest, search or seizure, unlawfully denies a person a right, or subjects a person to sexual harassment.
An offense of this nature is a Class A misdemeanor, except when the public servant acted with intent to impair the accuracy of data reported to the Texas Education Agency, in which case the crime becomes a third-degree felony.
For more on this story, see the upcoming edition of the Dispatch Record.