Ted Tredennick Defended Paul Pressler — Accused of Sexually Abusing a 14-Year-Old

Ted Tredennick served as the attorney for Paul Pressler.

In October 2017, Gareld Duane Rollins, Jr. filed a civil lawsuit in the 127th District Court of Harris County (Cause No. 2017-69277). The suit named H. Paul Pressler III as a defendant and alleged that Pressler had sexually abused Rollins beginning when Rollins was approximately 14 years old and participating in a Bible study led by Pressler at First Baptist Church of Houston.

The alleged abuse, according to the petition, included fondling, oral sex, and anal penetration and continued intermittently for more than two decades. Rollins further alleged that Pressler used religious language and other grooming tactics.

Who Paul Pressler was

Paul Pressler was a former Texas Court of Appeals judge, a former member of the Texas House of Representatives, and a leading figure in the Southern Baptist Convention’s conservative resurgence. He held positions of public trust and religious authority over young people.

The 2004 settlement

In 2004, Pressler settled a lawsuit with the same victim for $450,000. That settlement included a confidentiality agreement. A six-figure settlement with confidentiality does not prove the underlying allegations in a court of law. It does establish that the claim was serious enough to be resolved with substantial payment and sealed terms.

Ted Tredennick’s public statements

Ted Tredennick served as lead defense counsel for Paul Pressler in the 2017 case.

Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, Tredennick made public statements dismissing the allegations. He described the case as “bizarre and frivolous” and characterized the plaintiff as “a deeply troubled man, with a track record of multiple felonies and incarceration.” He stated it was “the height of irresponsibility that anyone would present such a bizarre and frivolous case — much less report on it.”

Tredennick’s comments focused on the plaintiff’s criminal history rather than addressing the core allegation: that Pressler had sexually abused a 14-year-old boy in his church youth group.

Later developments

Additional men later came forward with their own accusations of sexual abuse by Pressler. The case never went to trial. It was resolved through confidential settlements. The Southern Baptist Convention settled related claims in December 2023. Pressler died in 2024 at age 94. He consistently denied the allegations.

Why the record matters

A school board trustee participates in decisions that affect the safety and protection of children — including policies on reporting, background checks, and institutional response to misconduct.

When a candidate has served as counsel for a man accused of sexually abusing a minor, and when that counsel publicly described the allegations as frivolous while attacking the character of the person who said he was abused as a child, the public is entitled to know the record.

That record is documented in court filings, contemporaneous public statements, and subsequent reporting. It does not require embellishment.

Matthew Cone
April 28, 2026 (updated for permanent archive)
Matt@MatthewTCone.com · matthewtcone.com