Buzbee announces he will represent three of Maxwell’s victims

Attorney Tony Buzbee has announced that he will be representing three of the victims of the Taureaus Maxwell sexual abuse case. The Cass County District Attorney released a statement to the media on August 6, announcing the conviction of Taureaus Alvaro Maxwell Jr.

In the release, it was announced that on Friday, August 2, 2024, a Cass County jury convicted Taureaus Alvaro Maxwell, 31, a former teacher and coach at Atlanta Independent School District, of four counts of Indecency with a Child by Contact and four counts of Improper Relationship between Educator and Student.

After conviction, additional evidence was presented, and the jury assessed the maximum sentence of 20 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Institutional Division, along with a $10,000 fine, on each charge.

In the release, it was noted that “At punishment, the State presented evidence that Taureaus Maxwell had been previously employed as a probation officer for Bowie County Community Supervision Office in 2021. During that time, Maxwell received three complaints regarding sexually inappropriate behavior. After those complaints, Maxwell was placed on restrictions and was not allowed to conduct urinalysis testing. Testimony from a Bowie County supervisor showed that Maxwell continued conducting urinalysis testing, against direct orders not to do so. There was also testimony that Maxwell required a probationer to complete a urinalysis in a field behind a tree, against office policy. He was terminated from his job in June 2021.

“The State presented additional evidence that Maxwell lied on his employment application to Atlanta ISD to gain employment. When asked, “Have you ever been involuntarily terminated, notified of proposed termination, non-renewed, notified of proposed non-renewal, asked to resign from, or not reemployed by any employer,” Maxwell answered, “No.” Jason Harris, Superintendent of Atlanta ISD, indicated Maxwell never would have been hired if he had known of Maxwell’s previous termination and the reasons for it.”

The Journal-Sun reached out to Buzbee to find out about what litigation or plans he had moving forward. Buzbee responded by saying, “We want accountability. I want someone with authority at AISD to step forward and say, ‘We screwed up and failed these young men, and here is what we intend to do so it never happens again.’ We want all involved to be held responsible. Short of that we will have a public airing of this whole mess in excruciating detail.”

The Journal-Sun also reached out to Atlanta ISD. In response, they issued this statement. “Atlanta ISD’s priority is the well-being of our students. While we cannot comment on threatened litigation, we remain committed to maintaining a learning environment that upholds the highest standards of safety and respect for all students.”

Buzbee released a scathing statement on Facebook with accusations towards the school, the school’s police department, and Maxwell. Some of the accusations were already documented in the Cass County District Attorney’s press release on August 6.

Buzbee in the Facebook post said, “This case is extremely disturbing to me, and it should be to you as well. A coach (who is also a teacher) at the Atlanta Independent School District is asking for sexual pictures and sending sexual messages to male students at the school. It’s later learned that he reportedly fondles at least two students. The coach’s conduct is flagrant and pervasive. When one brave student--now my client--himself receives messages from this coach asking for illicit pictures this young man asks around.”

In the post, he asks several questions about the case including, whether the students were protected, why wasn’t the teacher immediately questioned, could Atlanta ISD have done more to find out about Maxwell’s previous sexual misconduct and firing, and why were the students drug tested after reporting the assault to the authorities.

The Journal-Sun was able to confirm with Atlanta ISD at the time of the arrest that he was hired in March 2022, and placed on leave on April 10. “All potential employees must pass a comprehensive criminal background check as required by law. Additionally, we consult the Texas Education Agency’s Do Not Hire Registry and check applicant references.”

This is an ongoing story and will document additional information as we have verified information.