Key Takeaways
- Lewis Stott, a former teacher at The Galloway School, faces serious charges of continuous sexual abuse of a young child and indecency with a child by sexual contact.
- The alleged abuse spanned six years, and police believe there may be additional victims due to Stott’s various roles at the school.
- The Galloway School claims to be cooperating with investigations but has not provided clear details about Stott’s departure in May 2026.
- Families with concerns related to Stott’s conduct are encouraged to communicate openly with their children while avoiding leading questions.
- The school could face civil liability for any institutional failures that may have allowed the alleged abuse to occur.
Parents do not pay a private school simply to educate their children. They trust that institution to supervise them, protect them, and ensure that the adults given daily access to them are safe.
Authorities have charged Lewis Connor Stott, a former teacher and soccer coach at The Galloway School in Friendswood, Texas, with the continuous sexual abuse of a young child. Investigators allege that the abuse occurred over a period spanning approximately six years from 2020 through 2026 while Stott worked at the school.
Police have confirmed that the known survivor was a student. Because Stott held several positions that brought him into contact with young children, Friendswood police believe there may be additional survivors who have not yet come forward.
Stott remains presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The criminal charges nevertheless raise urgent questions about how one employee allegedly maintained access to a child over such an extended period, what safeguards The Galloway School had in place, and why Stott “separated” from the school in May 2026.
What Charges Does Lewis Stott Face?
According to ABC13, Friendswood police arrested 32-year-old Lewis Stott of Seabrook on August 7, 2026.
The initial arrest warrant charged Stott with continuous sexual abuse of a young child. Subsequent court reporting indicates that Stott also faces a charge of indecency with a child by sexual contact.
Continuous sexual abuse of a child is an extraordinarily serious allegation. The charge generally addresses repeated acts of sexual abuse committed against a child over an extended period—not a single isolated incident.
Texas reporting identifies the continuous-abuse charge as a first-degree felony carrying a potential sentence of 25 years to life in prison if a defendant is convicted. The criminal court will determine the validity of the charges and any potential sentence.
Stott posted a reported $100,000 bond following his arrest.
Police Say the Alleged Abuse Spanned Six Years
The Friendswood Police Department’s official activity report states that the allegations involve sexual abuse that reportedly occurred while Stott worked at The Galloway School between 2020 and 2026.
Police have not released extensive details about the alleged abuse, citing the active investigation and the need to protect the privacy of the child and other potential survivors.
That restraint is appropriate. The public does not need identifying or graphic information about a child to understand the gravity of an allegation involving six years of sexual abuse.
The alleged timeline should become a central focus of both the criminal and institutional investigations. Investigators must determine:
- Where the alleged abuse occurred
- How Stott obtained access to the child
- Whether he communicated privately with the child
- Whether the conduct occurred during school activities
- Whether Stott transported or met with students away from campus
- Whether employees observed grooming or boundary violations
- Whether anyone raised concerns during his employment
- What prompted his departure in May 2026
- Whether the school previously limited or changed his duties
- Whether other students experienced similar conduct
The length of the alleged abuse raises difficult but necessary questions. An institution cannot meaningfully evaluate student safety without examining how alleged abuse could continue over multiple academic years.
Lewis Stott Held Several Positions at The Galloway School
Stott did not occupy a single limited role at the school. Police report that he served as:
- A physical education teacher
- A substitute teacher
- A second-grade teacher
- A soccer club coach
Each role provided a different form of access to children.
As a second-grade teacher, Stott allegedly had daily authority over children who were approximately seven or eight years old. A physical education teacher and soccer coach, he may have interacted with students in athletic settings that involved physical instruction, changing clothes, transportation, practices, and activities outside a conventional classroom. As a substitute teacher, he may have encountered students across multiple grades.
The Galloway School serves children from prekindergarten through fifth grade. That means its student population consists entirely of young children.
When one employee moves among several roles, a school must consider the cumulative level of access—not evaluate each assignment in isolation.
Police Believe There May Be Additional Victims
Friendswood police have explicitly stated that investigators believe additional victims may not yet have come forward because of Stott’s former position as an educator and his access to children.
That statement does not prove that Stott abused anyone else. It does, however, mean families should take the investigation seriously and create a calm, supportive opportunity for children to talk.
Parents and guardians whose children had contact with Stott should avoid interrogating them or repeatedly asking leading questions. Instead, they can use open-ended statements such as:
- “Tell me about what it was like having Mr. Stott as a teacher.”
- “Did anything ever happen that made you uncomfortable or confused?”
- “Were there ever secrets you were told not to share?”
- “Did he ever communicate with you outside school?”
- “You can always tell me something, even if an adult told you not to.”
If a child discloses concerning conduct, the parent should remain calm, listen without expressing disbelief or panic, document the child’s words as accurately as possible, and contact law enforcement.
Anyone with information may contact the Friendswood Police Department at 281-996-3300.
The Galloway School Says Stott “Separated” From the School in May
The Galloway School confirmed that Stott worked there and stated that he “was separated from the school” in May 2026.
The school has not publicly explained whether it terminated Stott, accepted his resignation, declined to renew his employment, or ended the relationship for another reason.
The school should nevertheless provide investigators with a complete account of the circumstances surrounding his separation. The phrase “separated from the school” cannot become a substitute for transparency.
The School Says It Is Cooperating With Several Investigations
The Galloway School stated that it is cooperating with:
- The Harris County District Attorney’s Office
- The Friendswood Police Department
- The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
- The Texas Education Agency
The school also stated that its first priority is the safety, security, and education of the children entrusted to its care.
Cooperation is necessary. A complete institutional response must also include evidence preservation, independent review, confidential outreach to families, and accessible support for any student who reports concerning conduct.
The school should not narrowly limit its review to the child involved in the existing criminal case. Because Stott taught multiple subjects, substituted in classrooms, and coached soccer, the review should address every child who may have experienced private or unsupervised contact with him.
Private-School Families Have the Right to Demand Accountability
The Galloway School presents itself as a private STEM academy serving students from prekindergarten through fifth grade.
Families who choose private education may believe that smaller classes, close relationships, and tuition-funded programming provide additional safety and oversight. Those expectations make strong child-protection systems essential.
A school cannot simply advertise individualized attention and a close-knit community. It must examine how those same features can create opportunities for unchecked access, favoritism, secrecy, and isolation.
What Warning Signs Should Schools Recognize?
Grooming can appear harmless when adults examine each act separately. Schools must evaluate the full pattern of an employee’s conduct.
Potential warning signs may include:
- Singling out one child for special attention
- Excessive physical contact
- Private electronic communication
- Giving gifts or special privileges
- Creating reasons to be alone with a student
- Driving a child without authorization
- Meeting students outside school
- Encouraging secrecy
- Becoming unusually involved with a student’s family
- Ignoring parental or institutional boundaries
- Treating one student as unusually mature
- Moving conversations to disappearing-message applications
- Photographing children outside legitimate school purposes
- Retaliating against a child who creates distance
No single behavior automatically establishes abuse. A repeated pattern requires intervention before an employee’s conduct escalates into a criminal allegation.
Evidence preservation protects the integrity of the investigation. It can also help police identify other children who had sustained or unsupervised contact with Stott.
When Can a Private School Face Civil Liability?
A criminal case focuses on whether Stott committed the charged offenses. A civil lawsuit may also investigate whether institutional failures enabled the alleged abuse or allowed it to continue.
A school does not automatically become civilly liable merely because an employee faces criminal charges. Attorneys must determine what the school knew or should have known, whether warning signs existed, and whether reasonable child-protection practices could have prevented or stopped the harm.
A six-year alleged timeline makes that inquiry particularly important.
Survivors Should Not Wait for the Criminal Case to End
A survivor does not necessarily need a criminal conviction before exploring a civil claim. Criminal and civil cases are separate and use different standards of proof.
Civil litigation may help a survivor pursue compensation for:
- Therapy and medical expenses
- Emotional distress
- Post-traumatic stress
- Educational disruption
- Lost income or diminished earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Other damages permitted under Texas law
Texas civil claims involving child sexual abuse may be governed by specialized filing deadlines. Different rules may apply to claims against the alleged perpetrator and claims against an institution.
Families should speak with an experienced sexual abuse attorney promptly. They should not assume that a police investigation, criminal charge, or school investigation pauses every civil deadline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Lewis Stott?
Lewis Connor Stott is a 32-year-old former teacher and soccer coach at The Galloway School in Friendswood, Texas. Authorities charged him with continuously sexually abusing a young child and indecency with a child by sexual contact.
Where did Lewis Stott teach?
Stott worked at The Galloway School, a private school in Friendswood serving students from prekindergarten through fifth grade.
What positions did Lewis Stott hold?
Police report that Stott served as a physical education teacher, substitute teacher, second-grade teacher, and soccer club coach.
How long did the alleged abuse continue?
Investigators allege that the sexual abuse occurred between 2020 and 2026 while Stott worked at The Galloway School.
Was the alleged victim a student?
Yes. Friendswood police confirmed that the known survivor was a student.
Are police looking for additional victims?
Yes. Because Stott worked in several educational and coaching roles that gave him access to children, investigators believe additional victims may not yet have come forward.
Is Lewis Stott still employed by The Galloway School?
No. The school said Stott “separated” from the school in May 2026. The school has not publicly explained the precise circumstances of his departure.
Did The Galloway School know about the alleged abuse?
Current public reporting does not establish when school administrators first learned of the allegations or whether they had prior notice. Those questions should form part of the ongoing institutional investigation.
How can someone provide information to police?
Anyone with information may contact the Friendswood Police Department at 281-996-3300.
Can The Galloway School face a civil lawsuit?
Potentially. Civil liability would depend on evidence concerning warning signs, prior notice, supervision, reporting, institutional policies, and the circumstances of Stott’s departure.
Speaking With a Sexual Abuse Lawyer About Your Rights
Young children depend entirely on adults to create safe environments. They may not recognize grooming, understand that an adult’s behavior is abusive, or have the language to report what happened.
When police allege that a teacher continuously sexually abused a child over six years, every institution involved must answer hard questions. Investigators must determine how the alleged access occurred, whether warning signs existed, and whether adults missed opportunities to protect the child.
Andreozzi + Foote represents survivors of child sexual abuse and institutional misconduct. Our attorneys investigate the conduct of alleged perpetrators and the schools, athletic programs, youth organizations, and other institutions that may have failed to protect children.
If Lewis Stott taught, coached, supervised, transported, communicated privately with, or otherwise interacted with you or your child—and you have concerns about his conduct—you may contact law enforcement or speak confidentially with an experienced sexual abuse attorney.
Contact Andreozzi + Foote at (866) 858-3790 or info@vca.law for a confidential consultation.
Lewis Stott is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The allegations discussed in this article are based on publicly reported criminal charges, court records, and law-enforcement statements.
Photos courtesy of ABC13
