A Texas school sports association has faced backlash after parents received a waiver allowing a registered sex offender to coach their children. The Texas Home Educators Sports Association (THESA), a Christian organization providing sports for homeschooled students in the Fort Worth area, listed Thomas Whiteman, also known as Tommy, as head coach of the THESA Riders baseball team. Whiteman, 46, a former Houston Astros player, is on the state's sex offender registry until 2030 for online solicitation of a minor in 2010, which involved communicating or distributing sexually explicit material to a 14-year-old girl.
According to a report by Amy Smith from Watchkeep.org, the waiver was included in a registration pack but did not mention Whiteman's criminal status. The waiver stated: "Coach Tommy can speak first-hand about the dark shadows of sports, especially professionally. He, himself a talented athlete, spent many years praising himself and feeding his flesh. The Lord so graciously refused to let the world have him and rescued him from his sin in a tremendously dramatic, yet necessary way. Tommy now spends his time pouring into young men around him, helping them navigate this tricky culture with Christ. His heart is to not only share his vast knowledge of baseball skills, but more importantly, the freedom he found in his Redeemer. Before you commit to Coach Tommy's leadership, check out his testimony here."
A parent told Smith that the waiver allegedly did not disclose Whiteman's sex offender status, though it mentioned his struggles with porn. Whiteman is no longer listed as a coach on THESA's website. He also reportedly operates a softball facility in Keller called Redemptive Sports, whose website includes a testimony under the subheading "the darkest shadows," where he admits to "inappropriate conversations that led to adultery." The testimony reads: "One of these online conversations ended up being with a minor…but it was never a minor…it was a police officer. The sting went down exactly like you would imagine on T.V. It was no question the worst day AND the best day of my life."
Whiteman was also listed as an approved off-campus activity provider for Carroll Independent School District (CISD) in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. CISD told Metro that it is aware of concerns and is "currently reviewing the situation." The district added: "The provider in question was utilized by one student during the 2022-23 school year at a parent's request and, to our knowledge, has not been used by any other CISD students since that time." THESA has not yet commented on the matter.
