Haslet congregation blocks return of pastor who hired sex offender son

HASLET, Texas - Congregation members of a North Texas church have voted against reinstating their former senior pastor, months after he stepped down for secretly employing his son, a lifetime registered sex offender, on the church and school campus.

Members of Heritage Baptist Church in Haslet cast ballots Sunday evening regarding the potential return of Eric Crawford. According to sources familiar with the matter, 56% of the 180 votes cast were in favor of reinstatement. However, the measure failed because it fell short of the 75% supermajority required by the church's bylaws.

The vote occurred immediately after Crawford reportedly taught Sunday school and preached to the congregation on Sunday morning. Church officials have not responded to requests for comment.

Caleb Crawford arrest

The backstory:

Crawford initially stepped down on Feb. 19 following the arrest of his son, Caleb Crawford, by the Fort Worth Police Department. The younger Crawford was booked on an outstanding warrant for failing to comply with sex offender registration requirements after failing to report his employment status to law enforcement.

Caleb Crawford was indicted in 2016 on charges of indecency with a child involving a 12-year-old girl. He is legally required to register as a sex offender for life and is classified as a moderate risk to reoffend.

According to an arrest affidavit, parents reported seeing Caleb Crawford working as a janitor and installing security cameras at Heritage Christian Academy. The affidavit noted that multiple school staff members and teachers were aware of his criminal history but were allegedly instructed not to inform the parents.

The revelations caused an immediate fracture within the tight-knit Haslet community. Several families pulled their children out of the academy out of safety concerns.

What they're saying:

"For even the thought of him being voted back in, or being in that position again, is not right," Jennifer Wedel, a parent who pulled her children from the school, told FOX 4 before the weekend vote. "It's very shocking."

Former church members previously petitioned leadership for an independent, third-party investigation into how a sex offender was permitted to work around children, but church leaders instead handled the matter internally via a finance team audit.

Haslet is located approximately 15 miles north of Fort Worth.

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