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  "path": "/2026/04/25/texas-school-sent-parents-waiver-sign-let-sex-offender-coach-kids-28112483/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-25T15:25:16.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "News",
    "US",
    "Houston",
    "@JohnRHuffman",
    "pic.twitter.com/MXJHp0zhV7",
    "April 24, 2026",
    "Chron",
    "check our news page",
    "Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source",
    "@watchkeep"
  ],
  "textContent": "Thomas Whiteman, who goes by Tommy, was listed as a coach for a Christian educational body (Picture: Texas Sex Offender Registry/Watchkeep.org)\n\nParents received a waiver from a Texas school allowing their children to be trained by a registered sex offender.\n\nThe Texas Home Educators Sports Association (THESA) has come under fire after parents found out that one of its coaches is a registered sex offender.\n\nThomas Whiteman, who goes by Tommy, a former baseball player with the Houston Astros, was until recently listed as the head coach for the THESA Riders.\n\nThe 46-year-old, who has previously also coached high school softball teams in another county, is on the state’s sex offender registry until 2030.\n\nTommy Whiteman pictured in 2003 when he played with the Houston Astros (Picture: Getty Images)\n\nIt is for online solicitation of a minor in 2010, meaning communicating or distributing sexually explicit material, according to information on the registry seen by Metro.\n\nThe victim involved in the offence was a 14-year-old girl, the registry states.\n\nTHESA, a Christian educational body, provides sport opportunities for homeschooled young people in the Fort Worth area of Texas.\n\nIt sent the waiver to the parents as part of a registration pack, which failed to include information about his criminal status, Amy Smith from Watchkeep.org first reported.\n\nThe waiver said: ‘Coach Tommy can speak first-hand about the dark shadows of sports, especially professionally. He, himself a talented athlete, spent many years praising himself and feeding his flesh.\n\n‘The Lord so graciously refused to let the world have him and rescued him from his sin in a tremendously dramatic, yet necessary way. Tommy now spends his time pouring into young men around him, helping them navigate this tricky culture with Christ.\n\n‘His heart is to not only share his vast knowledge of baseball skills, but more importantly, the freedom he found in his Redeemer. Before you commit to Coach Tommy’s leadership, check out his testimony here.’\n\n> Can you imagine having to sign a waiver for your kid to play baseball because the coach is a child sex offender? @JohnRHuffman pic.twitter.com/MXJHp0zhV7\n>\n> — Amy Smith (@watchkeep) April 24, 2026\n\nA parent of a young baseball player told Smith that the waiver allegedly mentioned nothing about his sex offender status, although he talked about his struggles with porn.\n\nWhiteman is no longer listed as a coach on THESA’s website.\n\nWhiteman also reportedly operates a softball facility in Keller called Redemptive Sports.\n\nIts website also lists a testimony about him under subheading ‘the darkest shadows,’ where he admits engaging in ‘inappropriate conversations that led to adultery,’ local outlet Chron reported.\n\nThe bizarre testimony states: ‘One of these online conversations ended up being with a minor…but it was never a minor…it was a police officer. The sting went down exactly like you would imagine on T.V. It was no question the worst day AND the best day of my life.’\n\nWhiteman was also reportedly listed as an approved off-campus activity provider for Carroll Independent School District (CISD) in the Dallas-Fort Worth area\n\nThe school district told **Metro** that it is aware of concerns regarding an off-campus provider and it is ‘currently reviewing the situation.’\n\nIt said: ‘The provider in question was utilized by one student during the 2022-23 school year at a parent’s request and, to our knowledge, has not been used by any other CISD students since that time.’\n\nMetro approached THESA for a comment.\n\n******Get in touch with our news team by emailing us atwebnews@metro.co.uk.******\n\n**For more stories like this,** check our news page.\n\nComment now Comments \nAdd Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source\n",
  "title": "Texas school sent parents waiver they could sign to let sex offender coach their kids"
}