UPDATED with a comment from Harmony that McCoy was an employee of a third-party contractor hired by the school.
An Odessa charter school contract employee is facing six felony charges following accusations he sexually assaulted a student.
Maurice Devante McCoy, 31, was arrested and charged with five counts of sexual assault of a child and one count of improper relationship between educator and student. All are second-degree felonies punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison.
McCoy worked as a contract security guard at Harmony Science Academy in Odessa, a public charter school serving kindergarten through 8th grade students.
According to an Odessa Police Department press release, McCoy “became acquainted with a student” and over the course of weeks “committed multiple acts of sexual assault against the victim at his residence.”
“Harmony Science has fully cooperated with the officers and investigators involved,” read the police statement. “Upon being notified of the incident, the school took immediate action to ensure the safety and security of its students by removing McCoy from campus.”
Police said no further details would be released at this time.
Harmony spokesman John Boyd released a statement clarifying that McCoy was employed by a third-party contractor hired by Harmony and assigned to work at the school. Boyd did not say how long McCoy had worked on Harmony’s Odessa campus.
Odessa police arrested McCoy on April 23 “following a brief foot pursuit.”
He was booked into the Ector County Jail on April 24 and is being held on $300,000 in bonds—$50,000 for each charge.
McCoy is among hundreds of Texas school employees accused of sex crimes against students and other children in just the past few years.
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