A former junior high school coach in Mount Pleasant, Texas, is facing serious criminal charges after a woman accused him of raping her at her home following a night of drinking, according to court documents obtained by local news outlet KLTV.
Antoine Javon Ross, 32, was arrested on April 29 and subsequently released on May 1 from the Titus County Jail after posting a $100,000 bond on a sexual assault charge.
The case has since drawn significant attention in the East Texas community, particularly given Ross’s former position working with young students at Mount Pleasant Junior High School.
According to an affidavit, the incident occurred in February. A woman went to the Mount Pleasant Police Department on February 15 to report that Ross had raped her after driving her home from a residence where she had been drinking alcohol.
Her mother accompanied her to the police station to support her daughter as she came forward with the allegations.
The mother told investigators she received a phone call from her daughter around 11:17 p.m. that night, during which her daughter informed her that Ross was taking her home.
Roughly an hour later, the mother received another call. This time, her daughter was crying and told her that Ross had raped her.
The woman told police she had little memory of arriving home that night. The only thing she said she clearly recalled was telling Ross to get off her after the assault had already taken place.
When detectives went to Mount Pleasant Junior High School to speak with Ross, his response upon being approached was telling.
He told officers, “I kinda know what you’re talking about,” before quickly adding that he had already contacted a lawyer and had no intention of speaking further with police.
Ross was fired from the school district following his arrest. A spokesperson for Mount Pleasant ISD confirmed the termination and issued a public statement clarifying that the allegations did not involve any students.
The district emphasized that no threat to students had been identified and that all required safety protocols had been followed throughout the process. School officials asked community members to respect the privacy of those involved and to allow due process to take its course.
If convicted of the second-degree felony charge against him, Ross faces between two and twenty years in prison. A conviction would also require him to register as a sex offender for a minimum of ten years.
Cases like this one tend to shake communities deeply, especially when the accused holds a position of authority and trust within a school system.
Coaches and teachers are figures that children and parents rely on, and allegations of this nature cast a long shadow over institutions that work hard to maintain safe environments.
It is important to note that Ross has not yet been convicted of any crime and is legally presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The case is expected to move forward through the Titus County court system, and further developments will likely draw continued scrutiny from both the local community and the broader public as proceedings unfold. The woman who came forward has not been publicly identified.
