Three Texas Softball Teams Exit Athletics Mercado Following Harassment Allegations

Three Texas-based youth softball teams announced on Tuesday that they are leaving Athletics Mercado, a nationally ranked travel softball academy. The departure comes two days after Liana Gonzalez, a former coach with the organization, published a Facebook post alleging sexual harassment by head coach Devin Taylor. The teams cited a need to provide a safe environment for young female athletes as their primary reason for the split.

Gonzalez, who previously coached for the academy, detailed her allegations in an Oct. 27 post. She accused Taylor of making inappropriate remarks about her body and directing sexual jokes at her, sometimes in front of the 10-and-under team they coached together. She further alleged that Taylor sent her inappropriate text messages and attempted to share a hotel room with her during travel tournaments. Gonzalez stated that she reported the conduct to academy leadership before being released from her coaching position.

The first team to announce its exit was Athletics Mercado HTX 20333, a Houston-based group. In a Facebook announcement, the coaches stated their responsibility extends beyond developing skills to protecting the athletes. They described their goal as empowering female athletes and ensuring a safe space for young ladies to pursue the game.

Following the Houston group, Athletics Mercado Montero-Mijares, based in North Texas, announced it would leave the organization and rename the team. The group said its decision was made for the sake of the girls and their futures in the sport. Athletics Mercado CTX 14U, based in Central Texas, also announced its intent to part ways with the academy. The team wrote that it could not teach its daughters to demand respect and tolerate no harassment while remaining silent when those same values were challenged within the organization.

The timeline of the allegations and the academy's response is disputed by both parties. Gonzalez said she reported her concerns to Texas leadership, including director Jesse Frausto, in July. She claimed she was told to keep the situation in-house for damage control. According to Gonzalez, leadership informed her that Taylor was removed and the team was disbanded. However, she said the team continued to operate with practices and training sessions while she remained in the group chat. She noted that Taylor continued to appear on the team's social media, including a birthday message published on Oct. 17.

Gonzalez accused Frausto, Jacob Rose, and Brian Tidd of protecting Taylor and bringing him back around young female athletes despite the nature of the allegations. She argued that accountability extends beyond the harasser to those who knowingly overlooked serious concerns. She stated that the organization's leadership raised questions about its integrity and mission to support young female athletes.

Athletics Mercado responded to the allegations in a Facebook statement, acknowledging that Taylor is no longer with the organization. The academy disputed Gonzalez's account of her dismissal, stating she was never removed or prevented from continuing to coach as a result of voicing her concerns. The statement emphasized that the person who raised the concerns was not penalized for doing so.

The Texas branch of the academy issued a separate statement standing with the decision to terminate Taylor. The Texas leadership said that when concerns were brought to Frausto, they were elevated to organizational leadership for guidance and action. The branch stated that the concerns were not ignored, dismissed, or swept under the rug. Athletic Mercado and Athletic Mercado Academy Texas did not respond to further inquiries regarding the specific timeline of events.

The available statements do not independently establish when Taylor stopped working with the organization or whether the team was formally disbanded at the time Gonzalez claimed. The screenshots and social media posts provided by Gonzalez highlight the gap between the reported actions and the observed operations of the team during the period in question.

Gonzalez's posts have drawn support from former softball players, coaches, and mothers. The reactions have focused on her decision to come forward and the implications for other young athletes within the travel softball circuit.