Jesus Sanchez-Ontiveros

Termination vote for “good cause”; on administrative leave; no criminal charges reported. Fort Worth school trustees unanimously moved to fire a long-serving science teacher and head golf coach over grooming allegations, but the coach remains a district employee pending the appeal window his termination vote triggered.

Introduction

Jesus Javier Sanchez-Ontiveros, 39, is a science teacher and head golf coach at North Side High School in the Fort Worth Independent School District, where he has taught since 2018 and coached golf for the past five years; he has also coached football . On October 13, 2026, Fort Worth ISD trustees voted unanimously to terminate his contract “for good cause” — a vote the coach’s name never appeared on the meeting agenda for and that trustees did not publicly discuss . No criminal charges against him have been reported, and the characterization of the allegations comes from press accounts of an investigation rather than court findings .

Background Information

Sanchez-Ontiveros has held a Texas teaching certificate in science since 2013; his certification is currently under review by the Texas Education Agency, and he is listed in the state’s Do Not Hire Registry as “under investigation” . Under Texas law, the TEA can pursue administrative sanctions against an educator’s credentials for violations of the Educators’ Code of Ethics, while any alleged criminal misconduct involving students must be referred to outside law enforcement agencies — no such referral or charge has surfaced in coverage of his case . North Side parents told Texas Scorecard they received no communications from the school about the coach’s leave or termination, and principal Manuel De La Cruz did not respond to a request for information about parental notifications .

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

According to a report by Watchkeep cited by Texas Scorecard, Sanchez-Ontiveros was placed on administrative leave in August over allegations that he groomed female students and misappropriated school-related funds to buy gifts for the girls . The district has not publicly detailed the cause for its termination vote, and the allegations remain untested in any court — they are characterizations from an investigative report and the district’s personnel process, not adjudicated findings . The trustees’ October 13 vote initiated the formal termination process, authorizing the district to send him a notice of proposed termination; under Texas law he has fifteen days after receiving the notice to appeal the board’s decision and request a TEA administrative hearing, and if he does not appeal, trustees will take a final vote to fire him .

Public Reaction and Consequences

The district’s communications office confirmed to Texas Scorecard that Sanchez-Ontiveros “remains an employee of the District on administrative leave” but “has no access to District facilities or District students” . The silence around the case — an unnamed agenda item, no public board discussion, no parent notification — became part of the story itself, with parents learning of the coach’s status only through reporting . The case joined a broader Texas pattern: the TEA is investigating thousands of educator misconduct complaints, and overall misconduct reports tripled in 2026 compared with 2025 .

Current Status

Sanchez-Ontiveros remains a Fort Worth ISD employee on administrative leave with no access to facilities or students, awaiting the outcome of the proposed-termination process his unanimous termination vote set in motion . Whether he appeals within the fifteen-day window, and whether trustees then take the final termination vote, will decide his formal employment status; no appeal had been reported as of the latest coverage . His TEA certification review and Do Not Hire “under investigation” listing remain active .

Impact on Their Career/Life

A fifteen-year certified educator with five years as a head golf coach is now a termination vote away from the end of his Fort Worth career, with a credential review and a public “under investigation” registry entry attached to his name regardless of the employment outcome . Because no criminal case exists, the employment process — the unanimous board vote, the notice, the appeal window — is the only formal consequence the allegations have produced so far, and its outcome will define whether the record ends in firing or reinstatement . The case also documents the transparency gap parents flagged: a coach under grooming allegations spent months on leave without the school community being told .

Sources

• Texas Scorecard, “Fort Worth ISD Trustees Vote To Fire Coach for Misconduct,” October 23, 2026 — source