Cypress Christian School has fired two top administrators amid an ongoing leadership shakeup that followed the April arrest of a coach charged with sexually grooming a male student.
Culture director Kris Hogan had been on paid administrative leave for months while a third party reviewed unspecified “concerns” raised over the summer.
Hogan was fired on October 28, along with David Swan, the school’s chief financial officer and chief operating officer. CCS President Jeff Potts is on administrative leave.
The Cypress Christian board of directors told families about Hogan’s leave in an August 4 email, and also said it was engaging “two nationally respected organizations” to conduct reviews of the school’s policies, procedures, and student safety practices.
In September, the board placed Potts on leave while conducting a separate investigation into his leadership, which remains ongoing.
On October 29, the board notified Cypress Christian families that it had received the completed review of Hogan and, after meeting to consider the results and concerns shared directly by current and former school families, had voted to recommend Hogan’s termination.
Interim Head of School Patrick Reents made the final decision to terminate Hogan’s employment. Reents, formerly the school’s director of academics and varsity football coach, was assigned to temporarily lead CCS in Potts’ absence.
“To protect the privacy of the students, families and staff who participated, we will not release the full report or share the details of this personnel review,” the board stated, adding a request to avoid “speculation” about Hogan’s dismissal.
Reents announced separately that he had fired Swan effective November 30.
“This was my decision as Interim Head of School, made under the authority the Board has given that office, and I informed the Board of it tonight,” wrote Reents in an update sent to families on October 28. “Because this is a personnel matter, I will not discuss this beyond what is written here, and neither will the school’s staff.”
Hogan, who formerly served as the school’s athletic director and head football coach, had been removed from campus following a separate sexual misconduct scandal earlier in the year involving a coach at the school.
Coach Jared Barber was fired in April over alleged sexual messages sent to a male former Cypress Christian student who had moved to Georgia.
On August 18, a Georgia grand jury indicted Barber on three criminal counts: Grooming of a Minor (felony), Criminal Attempt to Commit Grooming of a Minor (felony), and Electronically Furnishing Obscene Material to Minors (misdemeanor).
Responding to a letter from the CCS community requesting more transparency about the multiple reviews of policies and personnel, the board stated on October 10 that the matters involving Barber, Hogan, and Potts “should not be understood or interpreted as involving the same allegations.”
The board also clarified that the roles in the current reviews are distinct:
An independent third-party reviewer is examining the concerns regarding Mr. Hogan and reports directly to the Board, not to school administration. The review concerning Dr. Potts is being conducted by the Board, with advice from outside legal counsel, because the Head of School is accountable to the Board. Mr. Reents does not conduct or decide either review.
The matter involving Mr. Barber remains with law enforcement.
According to the board, the independent safety reviews remain ongoing.
“Once the reviews are complete, the Board will consider the findings, determine what recommendations or improvements should be implemented, and communicate resulting changes to the CCS community,” the board wrote.
Meanwhile, the administration added a new position, director of family and student care, to “help protect and support students.” The new director can be reached at Corlischa.Badenhorst@CypressChristian.org.
Families also raised concerns about past connections between Barber and several of the school’s senior administrators who previously worked at Grapevine Faith Christian School.
- Potts was an administrator at Grapevine Faith from 1999 through June 2015, according to his LinkedIn page.
- Hogan was a football coach and athletic director at Grapevine Faith for 17 years, overlapping with Potts for more than a decade. Hogan’s 2008 season at the school was the subject of a bestselling book “Remember Why You Play.” He left in 2020 to join CCS.
- Reents was a coach and athletic director at Grapevine Faith from 2018 through 2024.
- Drew Sells, CCS’s current athletic director, was head coach at Pantego Christian Academy from 2016 through 2020, while Potts was president of that school. And according to a 2020 X post, Sells “grew up coaching with Hogan at Grapevine Faith,” who he called his “best friend.”
- Barber worked alongside Hogan at Grapevine Faith in 2017. He was hired by CCS in August 2023 and fired in April 2026.
The board responded in its October 10 message:
Several families asked whether Mr. Reents worked with Mr. Barber, Dr. Potts, or Mr. Hogan at a previous school. School records, including Mr. Barber’s employment application and résumé, list no employment at Grapevine Faith Christian School at any time.
Mr. Reents has confirmed that he worked at Grapevine Faith for six school years beginning in 2018, that his time there overlapped with Mr. Hogan from 2018 to 2020, and that neither Mr. Barber nor Dr. Potts was at Grapevine Faith during his years there.
Texas Scorecard also contacted the Cypress Christian board to clarify whether past Grapevine Faith affiliations between Barber and Potts, Hogan, Reents, and/or Sells impacted his hiring by CCS.
The school’s communications office responded that under Cypress Christian School’s governance policies, “the Head of School and the School’s administration, not the Board of Directors, are responsible for hiring teachers and coaches, and the Board did not hire Mr. Barber.”
The school stated that Reents had confirmed neither Barber nor Potts was at Grapevine Faith during his years there, but did not address any connections with Hogan or Sells.
“The School has cooperated with law enforcement in the matter involving Mr. Barber and will continue to do so,” the school added.
Families also questioned the school board about teachers’ and coaches’ qualifications.
In its October 10 response, the board confirmed that the Cypress Christian School Handbook requires every teacher to hold at least a bachelor’s degree, and that new teachers must obtain ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International) certification and complete the Philosophy of Christian Education requirement.
All employees are screened against the Texas Education Agency’s Do Not Hire Registry, given a background check, and provide professional and spiritual references prior to employment.
They also undergo yearly background checks and complete annual training with MinistrySafe, which provides information on how to identify grooming behaviors, prevent child abuse, and fulfill reporting requirements. In addition, the Faculty and Staff Handbook outlines expectations for professional interaction with students, including prohibiting them from personal social media contact with students.
The board said programs Hogan was a part of continue under the current leadership team.
Since being placed on leave, Hogan has continued to produce a podcast and make motivational speaking appearances, including at a church in Coldspring on Sunday.
Questions and concerns about Cypress Christian School’s administration can be emailed to the board of directors at ccswarriorboard@outlook.com.
