Ex-New Deal baseball coach indicted
A Lubbock County grand jury on Tuesday indicted the former New Deal head baseball coach accused of sexually abusing a teenage girl in 2010.
Jason Ybarra is charged with a count of indecency with a child by sexual contact, a second degree felony that carries a punishment of two to 20 years in prison.
His charge stems from a Texas Rangers investigation that began in September when New Deal Independent School District Superintendent Matt Reed received an email from a former student accusing Ybarra of sexually abusing her in 2010.
Ybarra's attorney, Lubbock attorney Chuck Lanehart, said his client denies the allegations against him.
A warrant was issued for Ybarra's arrest on Nov. 15 and Ybarra surrendered to authorities and was released two days later on a $50,000 bond.
"Again, Jason maintains his innocence," Lanehart said.
The Texas Rangers' report details outcries of sexual abuse by three former students who are now in their early to late 20s.
One girl said Ybarra performed a sexual act on her in the school's gym.
One of the other girls said Ybarra asked her for nude pictures while the other said he sent her "very nasty text messages" via social media.
Ybarra, who also graduated from New Deal, was first hired as a student teacher in 2010 and 2011. He then served as a teacher's aide to the baseball coach from 2011 to 2012.
Before he resigned, Ybarra was also the elementary, middle school physical education teacher.
Ybarra resigned from New Deal ISD three months after leading his alma mater to its first state championship.
No reason for Ybarra's resignation was given in his resignation letter, which was provided to the Avalanche-Journal in September.
The school district released a statement that "on or about" Sept. 3, Reed received an email from a former student claiming an NDISD employee "inappropriately engaged her in a texting and physical relationship during the 2010 school year."
According to the warrant, a school official asked Ybarra about the email and he initially denied the allegation.
However, Ybarra reportedly admitted to exchanging explicit messages and pictures with the girl but said "nothing physical took place," the warrant states.
The school official said Ybarra told him, "it was a long time ago, and he did not know what he was thinking at the time," the warrant states
The official said he gave Ybarra the chance to resign and told him that he would make a report to law enforcement.
A-J sports reporter Stephen Garcia contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Ex-New Deal baseball coach indicted on indecency charge
