Legal

Coldspring-Oakhurst: Former basketball coach arrested for child indecency
Former Coldspring-Oakhurst High School speech teacher and basketball coach Dennis Isbell was arrested Tuesday at his home in Willis on charges of indecency with a child. Currently, law enforcement officials believe Isbell allegedly fondled the genitals of at least one student, but there may have been others, San Jacinto County Criminal District Attorney Bill Burnett said. [ View Article ] Mar 11, 2010, 06:30

Residents sue Santa Fe ISD over barn construction
SANTA FE, TX (KTRK) -- Santa Fe residents call a lawsuit their last resort to stop a school district from building something that could force them to move. Residents who live near Wollem Elementary filed a lawsuit hoping to stop Santa Fe ISD's construction of an agriculture barn on school grounds. The suit claims the barn violates land restrictions and would expose homeowners and students to dangerous chemicals and disease. [ View Article ] Mar 10, 2010, 08:31

Abilene: Parent reports 'prank' incident
Four Baird High School students find themselves in a sticky situation over what one contends was a harmless prank earlier this year. When a teacher didn’t show up for their first-period class, the students passed the time by taping another student to a chair. [ View Article ] Mar 10, 2010, 07:51

Taylor student brings gun to school
A Taylor High School student was arrested Friday after authorities found a loaded pistol at the school. A student informed the administration of a rumor circulating about the gun. The administration investigated the situation and the student was taken into custody by Katy ISD police. [ View Article ] Mar 10, 2010, 07:45

Former Coldspring coach arrested for indecency with a child
Former Coldspring-Oakhurst High School speech teacher and basketball coach Dennis Isbell was arrested on Tuesday, March 9, in Montgomery County on charges of Indecency with a Child. According to San Jacinto County Criminal District Attorney Bill Burnett, the charges against Isbell, 39, stem from “behavior that occurred at his residence in Montgomery County.” [ View Article ] Mar 10, 2010, 06:30

AG Request for Opinion
Re: Meaning of "normal course load" as used in section 42.159 of the Education Code for the purposes of determining whether certain electronic courses provided by school districts fall under the funding method of section 42.159(b) or section 42.159(d) RQ-0866-GA Mar 9, 2010, 08:31

Leach attorneys file subpoena for Frenship ISD documents
We get to talk about sports? - js - Lawyers for Mike Leach filed a subpoena for documents from Frenship Independent School District last week for the Mike Leach vs. Texas Tech University lawsuit, requesting for documents about correspondence between new head football coach Tommy Tubervile and Frenship ISD. Ted Liggett, one of Mike Leach’s attorneys, refused to comment on the issue until depositions are completed Monday. Dicky Grigg, one of the Tech attorneys, said he has “no earthly idea” what the Leach attorneys are attempting to do with the requests. Attorneys for Frenship ISD also have filed a motion for protective order. The attorneys claim in the document that because the district is subject to the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, school records may not be released without written consent of the parent. [ View Article ] Mar 9, 2010, 08:31

Houston school district settles allegations
The state's largest public school system has agreed to pay $850,000 as part of a civil settlement relating to claims employees accepted meals and other gifts in connection with a federal technology program. [ View Article ] Mar 9, 2010, 08:16

Santa Fe: Ag barn battle heads to court
Residents have filed a lawsuit in an attempt to prevent the Santa Fe Independent School District from building an agriculture barn near their homes. Lloyd Gilliam, 60, is among 39 people who sued the school district on grounds the barn would violate land restrictions, among other things. [ View Article ] Mar 9, 2010, 07:45

Houston ISD settles false information allegations
HOUSTON -- The state's largest public school system has agreed to pay $850,000 as part of a civil settlement relating to claims employees accepted meals and other gifts in connection with a federal technology program. [ View Article ] Mar 9, 2010, 04:13

Court awards bullied student $800,000
Legal! In what experts say could be a landmark decision, a Michigan school district has been ordered to pay $800,000 this week to a student who claimed the school did not do enough to protect him from years of bullying, some sexually tinged. This week's jury verdict against Hudson Area Schools puts districts on notice that it's not enough to stop a student from bullying another. There needs to be a concerted effort to stop systemic bullying, too. Essentially, the federal court ruling says schools can be held responsible for what students do, if there is a pattern of harassment or if they don't do enough to provide a safe environment. [ View Article ] Mar 8, 2010, 08:38

San Angelo: Boy who took knife to school gets probation
A Water Valley middle school student who brought a knife to school was given six months juvenile probation by a Tom Green County district judge, authorities said. According to a Tom Green County sheriff’s report, two girls said they were threatened with the blade in December. An official with Tom Green County juvenile probation said probation terms are subject to extension until a juvenile turns 17. [ View Article ] Mar 8, 2010, 07:47

Grape Creek: Dog-shooting suspect quickly bonds out of jail
Families of the children who were feet away during a dog-shooting incident last week in Grape Creek are now waiting to hear from the local district attorney to see if additional charges may be pressed against the man deputies suspect fired the gun. Jess Ford Burner, 43, of San Angelo, was arrested Friday night after he was accused of shooting the animal a week ago on school grounds while three teenage boys were close by. He was booked into the Tom Green County Jail on unlawful carrying of a weapon in a place where it is prohibited. [ View Article ] Mar 8, 2010, 07:45

San Angelo: Person linked to shot dog
Investigators at the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office have a person of interest who they believe might have shot a dog on Grape Creek Independent School District playing fields earlier this week. The animal was shot and killed while it was lying on a dirt mound just a few feet away from three Grape Creek seventh-graders. According to a sheriff’s report, the boys hid when they saw someone in a grayish brown pickup unlock the gate and park by the school’s FFA pen because they were afraid they weren’t supposed to be there. [ View Article ] Mar 8, 2010, 07:45

Ft. Bend: Former FBISD students indicted
Four people who formerly attended Fort Bend ISD schools were indicted Monday for their role in hacking FBISD computers and changing grades and attendance records. Two former Bush High School students along with a former student from Hightower High School and one former student from Elkins High School were indicted, said prosecutor Scott Carpenter. The incidents occurred between November 2007 and May 2008, he said. Rashav Verma (Hightower), Ravi Thakral (Bush), Francis Nwajel (Elkins) and Vincent Paresa (Bush) were indicted for their role in crime that involved other young people, Carpenter said. [ View Article ] Mar 5, 2010, 08:32

Fort Worth ISD exonerated in discrimination case
The U.S. Department of Education has exonerated the Fort Worth ISD in a discrimination case. It involves the Trimble Tech High School application process. Last year, a complaint was filed claiming that the process was unfair to African-Americans, males, and special education students. [ View Article ] Mar 5, 2010, 08:14

Grape Creek: Lead surfaces in shooting
Investigators at the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office have a person of interest who they believe might have shot a dog on Grape Creek Independent School District playing fields earlier this week. The animal was shot and killed while it was lying on a dirt mound just a few feet away from three Grape Creek seventh-graders [ View Article ] Mar 5, 2010, 07:59

Odessa: ECISD doesn't play tag
Students fond of writing on public property may now face the police for their literary transgressions. A ninth-grader was arrested Feb. 25 at Crockett Junior High School for writing on a school lab table. The student was sent to the Ector County Youth Center. [ View Article ] Mar 5, 2010, 07:45

Beaumont: Jury finds BISD not negligent for auto collision
In March 2008, Elizabeth Manning filed suit against the Beaumont Independent School District and one of its bus drivers, claiming the driver's negligence caused an automobile collision in December 2006. Two years later, a Jefferson County jury found no negligence on the part BISD, awarding Manning nothing for alleged mental anguish, impairment or medical expenses. [ View Article ] Mar 4, 2010, 07:41

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