Jared Randall Barber is a former teacher and coach at Cypress Christian School in the Houston area who was fired in April 2026 after the school learned that he had allegedly exchanged inappropriate messages with an underage former student. In August 2026, a Georgia grand jury indicted Barber on charges of grooming a minor, attempted grooming of a minor and electronically furnishing obscene material to minors. Prosecutors allege Barber engaged in sexual communications with the boy over an extended period while working at Cypress Christian. The charges are allegations and have not been proven in court.
Jared Barber Indictment
A Georgia Grand Jury Indicted Barber On August 18, 2026. The indictment charges Jared Randall Barber with three criminal counts arising from alleged electronic communications with a former Cypress Christian School student who now lives in Georgia. [Texas Scorecard]
Barber Faces A Felony Grooming Of A Minor Charge. Prosecutors allege Barber engaged in a pattern of electronic sexual communications with a child younger than 18 with the intent to persuade or induce the child to participate in a sexual offense. [Texas Scorecard]
Barber Also Faces Attempted Grooming And Obscene-Material Charges. The indictment includes a felony count of criminal attempt to commit grooming of a minor and a misdemeanor count of electronically furnishing obscene material to minors. [Texas Scorecard]
Alleged Communications With Former Student
Prosecutors Say The Alleged Communications Lasted From July 2024 Through April 2026. According to the indictment, Barber communicated with the former Cypress Christian student over a period of nearly two years while Barber was working as a secondary-school teacher and coach at the Texas school. [Texas Scorecard]
The Indictment Alleges Barber Sent The Boy Sexual Messages. Grand jurors accused Barber of sending messages concerning the child’s body, masturbation and erections. The allegations are contained in the criminal indictment and have not been proven at trial. [Texas Scorecard]
Barber Is Also Accused Of Sending Obscene Material Electronically. The indictment alleges Barber sent material containing explicit verbal descriptions of masturbation and other sexual conduct to the minor. [Texas Scorecard]
Cypress Christian School Fires Jared Barber
Cypress Christian Learned About The Communications In April 2026. School President Jeff Potts informed families on April 30 that administrators had discovered Barber was communicating inappropriately with a minor who was a former Cypress Christian student living outside the area. [Texas Scorecard]
The School Initially Placed Barber On Administrative Leave. Potts said Cypress Christian immediately removed Barber from active duties, ordered him to return from a school event and reported the matter to child-protection authorities. [Texas Scorecard]
Barber Was Fired After Returning From The School Event. School administrators met with Barber after he returned and terminated his employment. Cypress Christian also prohibited him from entering school property, contacting students or staff, and attending school activities. [Texas Scorecard]
Cypress Christian Said It Cooperated With Law Enforcement. The school told families that officials had reported the allegations and were assisting authorities with the investigation. [Texas Scorecard]
School Responds To Barber Indictment
Cypress Christian Notified Families After Barber Was Indicted. On August 22, the school sent families an update confirming that Barber had been indicted and reiterating that he had not been allowed on campus or at school activities since his April dismissal. [Texas Scorecard]
The School Announced Outside Reviews Of Its Student-Safety Practices. Cypress Christian said it was engaging two outside organizations to evaluate school policies, reporting procedures, training, safeguards and accountability systems. [Texas Scorecard]
Families Were Asked To Report Other Concerning Communications. Cypress Christian encouraged families whose children had received inappropriate, concerning or boundary-crossing messages from Barber to contact the school or child-protection authorities. [Texas Scorecard]
Jared Barber At Cypress Christian School
Barber Joined Cypress Christian In 2023. Public employment information identifies Barber as beginning work at Cypress Christian School in July 2023 as a teacher. [SignalHire]
Barber Worked As A Secondary-School Coach. Cypress Christian and reporting about the investigation identified him as both a teacher and coach whose responsibilities included working with older students and athletes. [Texas Scorecard]
Parents Said Barber Traveled Overnight With Student Athletes. Families told Texas Scorecard that Barber had been assigned to overnight athletic trips and frequently communicated with male students by text, including on weekends. Those parental accounts are separate from the conduct formally charged in Georgia. [Texas Scorecard]
Jared Barber’s Previous Coaching Jobs
Barber Previously Worked At Fort Worth Christian School. Public records and contemporaneous football reporting identify Barber as a teacher and coach at Fort Worth Christian from approximately 2020 through 2023. [FootballScoop] [SignalHire]
Barber Previously Served As Head Football Coach At Lee Academy. Employment records cited in reporting place Barber at Lee Academy in Mississippi during the 2019-2020 school year. [Texas Scorecard]
Barber Was Head Football Coach At Riverdale Academy In Louisiana. Riverdale Academy introduced Barber as its new head football coach in 2018. At the time, Barber said his priorities included faith, family and academics. [Red River Parish Journal]
Barber Previously Worked At Dallas Christian School. Reporting on his employment history identifies him as a Bible teacher and coach at Dallas Christian School during the 2017-2018 school year. [Texas Scorecard]
Barber Did Not Hold A Texas Teaching Certificate
Barber Was Not A Texas-Certified Teacher. Texas Scorecard reported that Barber did not hold a Texas teaching certificate while working at Cypress Christian, a private school. [Texas Scorecard]
Barber Was Not Listed On Texas’ Do Not Hire Registry When The Investigation Became Public. Because he did not hold a state teaching certificate and was working in private education, his employment history raised questions among parents about how misconduct allegations involving private-school educators are tracked between schools. [Texas Scorecard]
Other Allegations From Families
Some Cypress Christian Families Believe Barber May Have Targeted Other Students. Texas Scorecard reported that parents have alleged Barber engaged in concerning conduct with male students over a longer period and across multiple schools. Those claims have not resulted in publicly reported additional criminal charges and should not be treated as established fact. [Texas Scorecard]
The Current Criminal Case Concerns One Former Cypress Christian Student. The Georgia indictment publicly described so far centers on electronic communications involving one underage former student. Authorities have not publicly announced additional alleged victims in the criminal prosecution. [Texas Scorecard]
Case Status
Barber Has Been Indicted But His Custody Status Was Not Immediately Clear. Texas Scorecard reported on August 28 that it had not yet confirmed whether Barber had been arrested or taken into custody following the Georgia indictment. [Texas Scorecard]
No Guilty Plea Or Conviction Has Been Reported. As of August 29, 2026, Barber faces three criminal charges arising from the Georgia indictment. The accusations remain pending and have not been proven in court. [Texas Scorecard]
One of the first political bloggers in the world, Oliver Willis has operated OliverWillis.com since 2000. Contributor at Media Matters for America and The American Independent. Follow on Twitter at @owillis. Full bio.