Who Is Montez Heade? Palestine High School Basketball Coach Arrest

Maurice Montez Heade is a 41-year-old teacher and head boys basketball coach at Palestine High School in Palestine, Texas, who was arrested after police accused him of assaulting his 15-year-old son on the school campus.

Palestine police say Heade allegedly struck his son, tackled him into chairs, strangled him and threatened to kill him during a September 11, 2026 confrontation. A school resource officer witnessed portions of the incident and intervened, according to police.

Heade was arrested on a felony charge of assault of a family or household member by impeding breath or circulation. Palestine Independent School District placed him on leave. Police also say additional allegations involving possible earlier abuse are being investigated and could result in additional charges.

Heade has not been convicted, and the allegations against him must be proven in court.

Why Was Montez Heade Arrested?

Palestine police arrested Heade on September 11, 2026, after authorities say he assaulted his 15-year-old son inside Palestine High School. Police identified Heade’s full name as Maurice Montez Heade and said he was 41 years old at the time of his arrest. [KLTV]

Heade was booked into the Anderson County Jail on a charge of assaulting a family member by impeding breathing or circulation. Palestine Police Chief Mark Harcrow initially confirmed the felony arrest before police subsequently released a more detailed account of what allegedly occurred. [CBS19] [KLTV]

What Is Montez Heade Charged With?

Heade was charged with assault of a family or household member by impeding breath or circulation. Police described the accusation as a felony offense. [CBS19]

Texas Penal Code Section 22.01 provides enhanced felony penalties in certain family-violence assault cases when a person is accused of intentionally, knowingly or recklessly impeding another person’s normal breathing or blood circulation by applying pressure to the throat or neck or blocking the nose or mouth. [Texas Penal Code]

The charge describes the offense police accuse Heade of committing. It does not establish that the allegation is true or that Heade is guilty.

Police Say The Alleged Victim Was Heade’s 15-Year-Old Son

The student involved in the incident was Heade’s 15-year-old son, according to a more detailed account released by the Palestine Police Department after Heade’s arrest. His son was also a student in Palestine Independent School District. [KLTV]

The student’s identity has not been publicly released because he is a minor.

Police Say The Confrontation Began After Heade’s Son Fell Asleep In Class

The incident occurred at approximately 2:46 p.m. at Palestine High School. Police said a school resource officer was alerted to an altercation occurring in a hallway. [KLTV]

According to police, the officer encountered Heade standing over his son and yelling at him. Investigators said Heade had become upset after learning that his son had been sleeping during class. [KLTV]

Police Say Heade Struck His Son In The Hallway

Police allege that Heade physically removed his son from the hallway during the confrontation and at one point struck the teenager in the chest. [KLTV]

The school resource officer followed Heade and his son into a locker room. Police said the two initially sat separately while the officer attempted to calm the situation. [KLTV]

Police Say Heade Hit His Son And Tackled Him Into Chairs

Police allege that the situation escalated again after Heade’s son made a comment while the two were sitting in the locker room. According to the police account, Heade lunged from his chair toward the teenager. [KLTV]

Investigators say Heade struck his son in the face and tackled him into several chairs. The school resource officer attempted to pull Heade away from the teenager and repeatedly ordered him to release his son, according to police. [KLTV]

Police Accuse Heade Of Strangling His Son

The Palestine Police Department alleges that Heade strangled his son during the confrontation. The allegation that Heade impeded the teenager’s breathing or circulation forms the basis of the felony assault charge reported by police. [KLTV]

Under Texas law, assault involving a qualifying family relationship can be treated as a felony when prosecutors establish that the accused impeded the alleged victim’s breathing or blood circulation through pressure on the throat or neck or by obstructing the nose or mouth. [Texas Penal Code]

Police Say Heade Threatened To Kill His Son

Police also allege that Heade threatened to kill his son while the physical confrontation was occurring. The school resource officer eventually succeeded in separating Heade from the teenager, according to the Palestine Police Department. [KLTV]

Publicly reported arrest information reviewed through September 15 lists the family-assault charge involving impeding breathing or circulation. The police report that Heade allegedly made a death threat does not by itself mean that prosecutors have filed a separate criminal charge related to that alleged statement.

Heade’s Son Was Taken To A Hospital

After the school resource officer separated Heade from his son, the teenager was taken to the school nurse’s office. Emergency medical personnel responded to the school and transported him to a hospital for evaluation. [KLTV]

Police said the teenager was evaluated at the hospital and later released. Authorities have not publicly provided a detailed medical description of his injuries. [KLTV]

Police Are Investigating Allegations Of Earlier Abuse

The Palestine Police Department said additional allegations concerning possible prior abuse have been reported during the investigation. Police said those allegations remain under investigation and could result in additional charges. [KLTV]

Police have not publicly disclosed detailed allegations concerning the earlier incidents, when they allegedly occurred or whether investigators have determined that additional crimes took place.

No additional criminal charges arising from those allegations had been publicly reported in the sources reviewed through September 15, 2026.

A School Resource Officer Witnessed The Confrontation

A school resource officer was present for significant portions of the alleged incident, according to police. The officer first responded to the hallway confrontation, followed Heade and his son into the locker room and subsequently attempted to physically separate them when the confrontation escalated. [KLTV]

The officer’s presence distinguishes the case from allegations that depend solely on later accounts from the people involved. Police say the officer directly observed portions of the confrontation and intervened as it occurred. [KLTV]

Palestine ISD Placed Montez Heade On Leave

Palestine Independent School District placed Heade on leave following the incident. The district initially announced that an employee who was also the parent of a district student had been arrested following an incident at Palestine High School. [CBS19]

The district said the employee had been placed on leave while the incident was investigated and that Palestine ISD was cooperating with the Palestine Police Department. [CBS19]

Police subsequently identified the employee as Heade. Reporting reviewed through September 15 did not establish that Palestine ISD had fired Heade or that he had resigned.

Who Is Maurice Montez Heade?

Maurice Montez Heade, commonly identified in coverage as Montez Heade, was 41 years old at the time of his arrest. He worked as a teacher and served as head coach of the Palestine High School boys basketball team. [KLTV]

Palestine High School is part of Palestine Independent School District in Palestine, Texas, in Anderson County.

Heade Was Palestine High School’s Head Boys Basketball Coach

Palestine ISD’s athletics information identified Heade as the head coach of the Palestine High School boys basketball program at the time of his arrest. [KLTV]

The school district also identified the person involved in the incident as an employee and a parent of the student involved. Heade was placed on leave following the arrest. [CBS19]

Heade Was Booked Into The Anderson County Jail

Police arrested Heade following the September 11 confrontation and booked him into the Anderson County Jail on the felony family-assault charge. [KLTV]

Initial reporting after the arrest said Heade remained in the Anderson County Jail as the investigation continued. [CBS19]

Public reporting reviewed through September 15 did not provide a reliable subsequent bond or release update, so the initial jail reports should not be interpreted as establishing his current custody status indefinitely.

What Does Assault By Impeding Breath Or Circulation Mean In Texas?

Texas Penal Code Section 22.01 generally defines assault to include intentionally, knowingly or recklessly causing bodily injury to another person. The law provides felony treatment for certain assaults involving family or household relationships when the alleged conduct impedes normal breathing or blood circulation. [Texas Penal Code]

The statute specifically refers to applying pressure to a person’s throat or neck or blocking the nose or mouth. Whether prosecutors can establish those legal elements in Heade’s case will depend on the evidence presented in court. [Texas Penal Code]

Could Montez Heade Face Additional Charges?

Police have explicitly said that additional allegations of prior abuse are under investigation and could lead to more charges. [KLTV]

That does not mean additional offenses have already been established or formally charged. Any additional criminal case would depend on the results of the investigation and a subsequent decision by law enforcement and prosecutors.

Has Montez Heade Been Convicted?

No. Heade has been arrested and accused of a felony offense, but an arrest and criminal charge do not constitute a conviction.

No guilty plea, trial verdict or criminal sentence involving the September 2026 case was identified in the reporting reviewed through September 15, 2026. The criminal allegations against Heade remain pending and must be proven in court.