Texas Teams Exit Softball Academy

Youth sports organizations in Texas are redefining their boundaries in response to new leadership disputes. Three teams affiliated with Athletics Mercado announced they will leave the nationally ranked academy following a public dispute over how a sexual harassment complaint was handled.

Liana Gonzalez, a former coach with the organization, posted her allegations on Facebook on Oct. 27. She accused head coach Devin Taylor of making inappropriate remarks about her body and directing sexual jokes at her in front of players in the 10-and-under age group. Gonzalez also stated that Taylor sent her inappropriate text messages and tried to share a hotel room with her during travel tournaments.

Gonzalez claimed she reported the conduct to academy leadership in July. She said she was subsequently released from her coaching position while Taylor faced no immediate consequences. She named Jesse Frausto, Jacob Rose, and Brian Tidd as individuals who she believes protected Taylor. "He received absolutely no consequences and was protected by Jesse Frausto, Jacob Rose, and Brian Tidd," Gonzalez wrote in her post.

The departure of three teams followed shortly after Gonzalez’s post. Athletics Mercado HTX 20333, based in Houston, announced it would part ways with the organization to ensure a safe environment for its players. Athletics Mercado Montero-Mijares from North Texas and Athletics Mercado CTX 14U from Central Texas also confirmed they would leave. The CTX team cited the need to align their actions with the values they teach to young athletes.

Athletics Mercado acknowledged the allegations in a Facebook statement on Oct. 29. The organization confirmed that Taylor is no longer with the academy. However, leadership disputed Gonzalez’s account of her employment status. "The person who raised these concerns was never removed or prevented from continuing to coach by the Academy as a result of her voicing her concern," the statement read.

Gonzalez provided screenshots in her original post to support her timeline. She stated that leadership told her Taylor was removed and the team was disbanded. Yet she noted that the team continued to operate with practices taking place while she remained in the group chat. Taylor also appeared on the team’s social media accounts. On Oct. 17, the team published a birthday message for him. These details create a gap between the academy’s official statement and the former coach’s documented experience.

The Texas leadership branch said the concerns were elevated to organizational leadership for guidance. "These concerns were not ignored, dismissed, or swept under the rug," the Texas branch posted. The organization did not respond to further inquiries regarding the specific timeline of Taylor’s removal or the status of the disbanded team.