Parents at Heritage Christian Academy in Haslet, Texas, are withdrawing their children and demanding changes in school leadership after discovering that the pastor’s son, a registered sex offender, had been employed there. The revelation about Caleb Crawford, who has a conviction from 2016, has raised serious concerns among the school community.
Following the news, Caleb Crawford was terminated from his position at the school, where he had been working as an independent contractor. While some parents are calling for an overhaul of the church and school’s management, others are questioning how the hiring process allowed a registered sex offender to be employed in the first place.
The school is affiliated with Heritage Baptist Church, led by Pastor Eric Crawford. Parents gathered at Haslet Community Park, not for recreation, but to voice their apprehensions regarding the safety of their children at the institution. It was revealed that Caleb Crawford had been working on campus, despite his past conviction for indecency with a child, which involved sexual conduct with a 12-year-old girl.
Ryan Gunderson and Dani Jo Gunderson played a key role in unearthing Caleb’s history. “He’s supposed to be in a position where he is taking care of church members and the children at school, and he is putting them all in harm’s way,” Ryan Gunderson stated. Caleb Crawford is classified as a moderate risk offender, which indicates a potential for reoffending.
“If someone would have informed us about this four years ago, when we were considering enrollment, we would have never chosen this school for our kids,” added Gunderson, who has since withdrawn his three children from the school.
Other parents, like Chris and Marlene Baily, echoed similar sentiments. “As parents, we chose a private school under the impression it would be the safest environment for our children. We placed our trust in them,” Marlene expressed.
In response to the outcry, the pastor opted not to provide an interview but referred to a statement posted on the school’s Facebook page. The statement clarified that Caleb had no direct authority over the students and confirmed his immediate termination.
The Baily family met with the principal and learned that many staff members had been aware of Caleb’s past for an extended period. They emphasized that the safety of children should be the top priority, rather than protecting those with problematic histories.
Parents have reached out to local authorities for assistance, but there has been no confirmation from the Fort Worth police regarding their involvement in investigating the situation. To date, there have been no reported incidents of sexual misconduct at the school linked to Caleb Crawford.
Attempts to obtain a comment from Caleb Crawford have gone unanswered.
