EDINBURG — David Reyes, the former Mercedes ISD coach who was arrested on a charge of inappropriate relationship between educator and student Tuesday, is seeking to drop a civil suit he filed against the district in December.
The 53-year-old former Sgt. William G. Harrell Middle School employee is still being held in the Hidalgo County jail with a $250,000 bond as of Friday afternoon, jail records show.
In a statement, the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office said Reyes was arrested following an investigation that began March 18. The release says investigators found Reyes had allegedly given a minor items of a sexual nature and made several verbal sexual advances while a district employee.
According to the district, Reyes has not been employed with Mercedes school district since sometime in March.
A little over a month before his arrest and sometime before he parted ways with the district, Reyes filed a civil suit against his employer, claiming anticipatory breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress and tortious interference with his employment contract.
In an affidavit, Reyes wrote that he was contacted by Harrell’s principal on Dec. 8 about an alleged incident with a student. He claims he was later put on administrative leave and that the district later attempted to terminate his employment or clandestinely subvert his employment by not renewing his contract.
Reyes requested — and was granted — a temporary restraining order requiring the district to desist from directly or indirectly terminating Reyes’ employment.
“Please help,” he wrote the court.
Reyes filed a nonsuit Friday seeking to drop his claims against the district and moved the court to enter an order of dismissal, “for the reason that Plaintiff no longer wishes to pursue his claims in this matter.”
On Wednesday, the sheriff’s office asked for the public’s help in the Reyes investigation.
“We encourage anyone with any information regarding this case to please come forward,” a release stated. Individuals can call the sheriff’s office at (956) 383-8114 or call anonymously through the Hidalgo County Crime Stoppers Hotline at (956) 668-TIPS (8477).
