High School Art Teacher Charged Following Sexual Relationship with 16-Year-Old Student

A 40-year-old Lubbock high school teacher has been charged with enticement and attempted enticement of his 16-year-old female student, U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox announced today. 

According to a criminal complaint filed in federal court, Scott Riley Hall, an art teacher at Coronado High School, allegedly engaged in sexual intercourse with a 10th grade girl at her home in August.  

The relationship allegedly began last summer, after the victim confided in Hall about a difficult situation she’d encountered at school the previous year. In September, the victim’s mother stumbled upon some sexually explicit emails they’d shared: 

“I love touching you,” Hall wrote in one email. “One of these days, we are going to spend hours watching movies and rolling around in bed.”

“Seeing you (even briefly), dreaming of the next time, and reminiscing about the last time. These things make me sad, too, but they help me cope until we are just together.  Always,” he wrote in another. 

“I do hope you rested well and that you felt better than hating our situation,” he said in a third. “I’ll see you at school soon.  I love you my dear.”

After the victim admitted to her mother that she’d had sex with Hall, the mother confronted the teacher. 

“I am not sure of what you believe has happened, but my fault was caring too much in the wrong way,” Hall admitted to the mother in a follow-up text. “I will agree to any measure you would like me to take I [sic] regards to distancing myself… I am so sorry to have hurt either of you.” 

“I truly wanted to be that Art Dad, but I let my care for her cross a line.  It was a huge mistake,” he continued. “It was misguided affection. I am very sorry.  I will do anything you ask to keep this from being a legal or professional situation.” 

“I am not a predator,” Hall said.  

Hall later told police that he’d developed “strong feelings” for the 16-year-old girl, and agreed their interactions were “inappropriate.” Confronted with numerous email and text conversations, he admitted his communications with the victim were sexual in nature.  

A criminal charge is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.  If convicted, Hall faces up to life in federal prison. He’s also facing charges in state court. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Division, the Lubbock Police Department, and the Lubbock Independent School District Police Department conducted the investigation; Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Haag is prosecuting the federal case.