Who Is Montez Heade? Palestine High School Basketball Coach Arrest

Montez Heade is the head boys basketball coach at Palestine High School in Palestine, Texas, who was arrested in September 2026 following an incident involving a student at the school. Police said Heade was charged with assault of a family or household member by impeding breath or circulation, a felony under Texas law.

Palestine Independent School District placed Heade on leave following the arrest. Heade has not been convicted, and the criminal allegation against him must be proven in court.

Montez Heade Arrest And Felony Assault Charge

Palestine police arrested Montez Heade at Palestine High School. Palestine High School head boys basketball coach Montez Heade was arrested Friday, September 11, 2026, at the high school following an incident that authorities said involved a student. Palestine Police Chief Mark Harcrow confirmed Heade’s arrest and identified the charge filed against him. [CBS19]

Police charged Heade with assault of a family or household member by impeding breath or circulation. Harcrow said Heade was charged with the felony offense after the incident. Initial reports did not provide a complete public account of the alleged confrontation or identify the alleged victim by name. [CBS19]

What The Assault Charge Means

Texas classifies assault involving the impediment of a family or household member’s breathing or blood circulation as a felony. Texas Penal Code Section 22.01 covers an assault in which a person allegedly causes bodily injury to someone with whom they have a qualifying family, household or dating relationship and impedes normal breathing or blood circulation by applying pressure to the throat or neck or blocking the nose or mouth. The offense is ordinarily classified as a third-degree felony. [Texas Penal Code]

The charge itself does not establish that Heade committed the alleged conduct. Prosecutors would have to prove the elements of the offense in court. Public reporting immediately after Heade’s arrest did not provide an affidavit or detailed police narrative describing precisely what officers allege occurred. [CBS19]

Incident At Palestine High School

Palestine ISD said the incident involved a student and the student’s parent. In its initial statement, the school district said an incident occurred involving a Palestine High School student and the student’s parent, whom the district also described as an employee. The parent was subsequently arrested by the Palestine Police Department. [CBS19]

Police later identified the arrested employee as Montez Heade. CBS19 reported that Heade is Palestine High School’s head boys basketball coach and that police confirmed his arrest and felony assault charge. [CBS19]

Palestine ISD Placed Heade On Leave

Heade was placed on leave from his job with Palestine ISD. The district said the employee involved in the incident was placed on leave while the matter was investigated. Subsequent reporting identified that employee as Heade. [CBS19]

The district said it was cooperating with authorities. Palestine ISD acknowledged the police investigation and took employment action by placing Heade on leave while the criminal matter and circumstances surrounding the school incident were examined. [CBS19]

Heade Is Palestine High School’s Boys Basketball Coach

Heade served as the head coach of the Palestine Wildcats boys basketball program at the time of his arrest. CBS19 identified Heade as Palestine High School’s head boys basketball coach when reporting his September 2026 arrest. The school is part of Palestine Independent School District in Anderson County, Texas. [CBS19]

Heade Held In Anderson County Jail

Heade was taken to the Anderson County Jail following his arrest. CBS19 reported after the arrest that Heade remained in the Anderson County Jail while the criminal case proceeded. [CBS19]

The investigation was still developing immediately after the arrest. Authorities had not publicly released a detailed probable-cause affidavit or a complete narrative establishing what allegedly happened before Heade was taken into custody. Additional court filings could provide more information about the prosecution’s allegations as the case moves forward. [CBS19]