Athletics Mercado Team Leaves Organization Amid Sexual Harassment Allegations

An entire youth softball team has left the Athletics Mercado organization after one of the former coaches publicly accused the organization of mishandling her sexual harassment complaint.

In a Facebook post made on Wednesday, the team shared a statement supporting Liana Gonzalez and calling for greater accountability in youth sports and emphasizing its responsibility to protect the girls they coach.

"We are a group of coaches who believe in empowering female athletes, building confidence, encouraging growth, and providing a safe space for young ladies to pursue the game they love and work hard for," the statement reads. "Our responsibility goes beyond the field. We have a responsibility to protect, support, and stand up for the young athletes who trust us to lead them.

"We stand with Coach Liana Gonzalez and deeply appreciate her bravery in speaking up. Change begins when people are willing to use their voices, challenge what is not right, and push for accountability. Our hope is that speaking up today helps repair a broken system so that future generations of female athletes never have to endure the same struggles."

The announcement came after Gonzalez shared her account of alleged sexual harassment involving Devin Taylor, accusing him of making inappropriate comments about her body, sexual remarks and inappropriate jokes directed at her in front of their 10-and-under team.

Gonzalez also alleged that Taylor sent her inappropriate messages and attempted to share a hotel room with her at multiple out-of-town tournaments.

Gonzalez Details Allegations Against Taylor

In her Facebook post, Gonzalez said she experienced months of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior. She also said she reported her concerns to Jesse Frausto and Jacob Rose and was told the matter would be investigated by the organization.

Frausto is the Regional Director for Athletics Mercado in North Texas and has not responded to Softball On SI's request for comment at the time of publication.

However, Taylor was brought back into the organization while Gonzalez was released from the program and was blocked from all team social media after reporting the inappropriate behavior.

"I was also told to keep the situation in-house for damage control," Gonzalez said. "But protecting an organization’s reputation should never come before protecting young athletes and holding people accountable.

"To everyone who knew about these concerns and agreed to bring him back around young female athletes: accountability extends beyond the harasser himself. Those who knowingly choose to overlook serious concerns and support decisions that allow this behavior to go unaddressed must answer for their choices, too."

Questions About Accountability Remain

The team's departure from the organization and public support raise questions about how the complaint was handled.

In the team's statement, the coaches said their loyalty remains with their athletes and the values they believe youth sports should represent.

"Our loyalty has always been to our athletes, their well-being, and the values we believe coaching should represent," the statement continues. "We will continue to lead with integrity, stand up for what is right, and create an environment where young women feel supported, respected, and empowered to chase their dreams.

"This is not the end of our mission. It is the beginning of a new chapter."

Softball On SI also reached out to Brian Tidd, co-owner of Athletics Mercado for comment.

"We are in the middle of this currently and will post a statement shortly," he said in an email.

Who is Athletics Mercado?

Athletics Mercado is an elite travel softball academy and organization founded by David Mercado and Tidd, focused on developing talent to compete at the highest level.

Mercado and Tidd founded Gamers Academy in 2010 before expanding into the competitive travel softball landscape.

Athletics Mercado currently has teams across all age division in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illnois, Indiana, Kentucky, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington.

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