Convicted former teacher collapses at sentencing

A former Amarillo high school teacher who had been found guilty of fondling a 16-year-old female student collapsed Thursday during his sentencing hearing.

David Arnold Brown, 45, was taken by ambulance to a Lubbock hospital about 1:45 p.m., the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reported in its online edition Thursday. Brown told paramedics he was suffering chest pains. Brown's sentencing hearing resumed late Thursday afternoon before District Judge John Board.

A Lubbock jury on Wednesday convicted Brown, a former Tascosa High School teacher and coach, on five charges of indecency with a child from Randall County. The trial was moved to Lubbock because of excessive publicity in Amarillo.

The same jury was scheduled to hear punishment testimony in the case Thursday morning. Instead, prosecutors and the defense reached a plea agreement.

Board vacated the jury's verdicts, and Brown agreed to plead guilty to the charges. In return, prosecutors offered deferred adjudication. The plea agreement pertained to two of the charges. The other three were to be taken up when the hearing resumed.

If Brown successfully completes 10 years probation, no conviction will appear on his record. The deal requires Brown to register as a sex offender and submit a written admission and apology to the Amarillo Globe-News.

Brown taught world history and geography and coached the cross-country team at Amarillo's Tascosa High School when the incidents occurred.

Prosecutors said Brown fondled a Tascosa student on six occasions between Dec. 15 and Jan. 8 during meetings away from school property. On Nov. 1, school officials barred the teacher and student from contact after the girl's parents complained about inappropriate after-school meetings.

The victim, now 17, testified that she and Brown met at least three times at a shopping mall between Nov. 1 and Dec. 15, 2002, to talk. During their next six meetings, they drove to remote locations in Brown's car, she testified.

The Amarillo school district fired him after his indictment.

In March, after Brown's indictment, he and the girl met in a supermarket. The victim recorded their conversation, which is the basis of a pending Potter County witness-tampering charge.