A former Houston Independent School District teacher pleaded guilty to the charge of indecency with a child.
Dale Lamar Vanwright, who taught design at Tanglewood Middle School, was sentenced to deferred adjudication and 10 years of probation.
As part of the plea agreement, other felony charges were dismissed, including improper relationship with a student, indecency with a child by sexual contact, and sexual performance by a child involving an employee/authority relationship.
These original charges carried potential prison sentences ranging from 2 to 20 years each.
The case centers on a 14-year-old student who was in a relationship with one of Vanwright’s family members. She came forward with allegations of indecency, which she detailed during an interview at the Harris County Children’s Assessment Center in June 2024.
According to the girl, Vanwright, who frequently drove her home from school, began making inappropriate requests in October 2023. She claimed he asked her to expose her breasts and perform sexual acts during multiple FaceTime calls. She also described an incident in May 2024, alleging that Vanwright pulled into an empty parking lot and touched her inappropriately.
In his guilty plea, Vanwright admitted to the sexual performances and nudity over FaceTime but denied any physical contact.
Vanwright was suspended from his teaching position in March 2024—three months before these allegations surfaced.
His suspension stemmed from separate accusations made by a different student. According to a July 2024 KHOU 11 report, Vanwright allegedly booked a hotel room and purchased condoms for a girl and another student, intending to watch them engage in sexual acts. At the time, investigators suggested there could be additional victims who had yet to come forward.
According to state records, Vanwright was not issued a Texas teaching certificate.
Texas Scorecard has covered hundreds of teachers across the state charged with sex crimes involving students and other children.
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