Artificial intelligence (“AI”) use is on the rise in Texas schools. From lesson-planning platforms to student-facing chatbots, AI is reshaping how instruction happens. But as more people use AI, one question lingers: Who is responsible when mishaps occur? In Texas, AI creates legal complexities where education law already demands careful attention to student privacy, curriculum standards, and teacher certification. Because AI provides a new way to violate state and federal laws, even inadvertently, educators and administrators must be mindful when using AI to ensure that the law is still being followed.

The sweeping rule changes, all enacted outside the typical legislative process, have upended life for noncitizens, including those who are here legally.  Over the last year, Texas Republicans have enacted sweeping regulatory and legal changes that have upended all facets of life for noncitizens. The state has limited who can get an occupational license; register or buy a car; obtain commercial driver’s licenses; and get in-state tuition at colleges and universities.  Over the last year, Texas Republicans have enacted sweeping regulatory and legal changes that have upended all facets of life for noncitizens. The state has limited who can get an occupational license; register or buy a car; obtain commercial driver’s licenses; and get in-state tuition at colleges and universities.  The changes are wreaking havoc on the 1.7 million people without documentation in Texas, as well as tens of thousands of refugees and people with protected legal status, like Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Already, more than 6,400 refugees and DACA recipients have lost their commercial driver’s licenses. Many more noncitizens are expected to lose the ability to work in licensed industries from construction and medicine to air conditioning and cosmetology.The changes are wreaking havoc on the 1.7 million people without documentation in Texas, as well as tens of thousands of refugees and people with protected legal status, like Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Already, more than 6,400 refugees and DACA recipients have lost their commercial driver’s licenses. Many more noncitizens are expected to lose the ability to work in licensed industries from construction and medicine to air conditioning and cosmetology. view article

The rule comes after a recent opinion by Attorney General Ken Paxton requiring licensing authorities to obtain social security numbers from applicants.  Beginning May 1, Texas will bar individuals who cannot prove they are lawfully present in the U.S. from obtaining or renewing state‑issued professional licenses. It will also impact occupational and trade licenses.  Commissioners for the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) approved a new rule on Tuesday to check the lawful presence of people applying for or renewing state licenses when they are flagged for verification.  The new rule requires TDLR to verify an applicant’s eligibility under federal immigration law when that applicant is selected for verification under department procedures. It applies across all TDLR‑regulated licenses.  If an applicant is selected, they must submit documentation before a license can be issued or renewed.  view article

A woman has been arrested after making a non-credible threat against G.W. Bradford Rusk Primary School Wednesday. Rusk ISD first announced a “SECURE Lockout” around 9 a.m. The district has since returned to “normal operations” after the school and law enforcement determined it was safe. view article

Corpus Christi Independent School District Board of Trustees Vice President Marty Bell has resigned from his leadership role and committee assignment after acknowledging a conflict of interest. Following a closed session discussion during Monday evening's school board meeting, Bell read a statement taking responsibility for failing to disclose a conflict of interest. He resigned as vice president and stepped down from his seat on the curriculum committee, though he remains an elected school board member. view article

WACO, Texas (KWTX) - Seven months after Texas Senate Bill 13 took effect, some Central Texas school districts say they are still working through new requirements for how they select, review and challenge school library materials — and some are using artificial intelligence tools to help manage the workload. view article

People will be allowed to buy smokeable hemp THC products, such as flower buds and rolled joints, from Texas businesses until at least April 23. view article

Emboldened by overturning Roe v. Wade, conservative legal groups hope Ken Paxton’s successor will help them overturn gay marriage and public school access for undocumented students.     1975, Texas passed a law allowing school districts to exclude undocumented students from free public school. When a district in Tyler enacted such a policy, a group of families sued.  The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Plyler v. Doe that Texas’ law was unconstitutional and children had a right to public education, regardless of their citizenship status. view article

Multiple Spring ISD employees are on leave after mistakenly sending an email containing other employees' Social Security numbers, the district confirmed late Friday. Spring ISD emailed its 5,600 employees at 4:50 p.m. to inform them of the breach, hours after Eyewitness News began asking the district about it. view article

He said the Justice Department’s decision amounts to a “get out of jail free card.”  The “DOJ is turning its back on the victims, and those victims are left with no recourse and no assurance that any actions will be taken to remedy the harms that were identified in DOJ’s original complaint,” Smith said.  The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Smith’s criticisms. During the hearing, however, Hussain said the department would ensure Colony Ridge abides by the settlement. In a court filing, the developer said it had already started implementing the provisions, which include adopting stricter lending standards. view article

In December 2023, the U.S. Justice Department sued a Texas land developer it accused of duping tens of thousands of Hispanic residents into predatory mortgages, a landmark case for the Biden administration.  Colony Ridge, which sold plots in massive subdivisions north of Houston, had become a “one-stop shop for discriminatory lending,” Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general for civil rights, said at a news conference announcing the lawsuit. The developer targeted Hispanic applicants through false advertising and persuaded them to take out high-interest loans that many could not afford, then benefited when it foreclosed on their properties, the lawsuit alleged.  Three years later, the Trump administration and Colony Ridge are on the verge of resolving the case. But the $68 million proposed settlement provides no money for victims of the alleged scheme. 

A Splendora ISD teacher is facing felony charges after she allegedly faked an assault by a student. The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office says that the teacher, Nicole Truelove, was arrested after a lockdown at Splendora High School. Police say evidence indicates her wound was self-inflicted. view article

By a 5-2 vote early Wednesday, the Brownsville Independent School District Board of Trustees placed Superintendent Jesus H. Chavez on administrative leave. The development marked a bittersweet end to Chavez’s tenure as superintendent after 2 1/2 years of service. A Brownsville native, Chavez often said how proud he was to serve as BISD’s top administrator. view article

Milton “Rob” Fields III, Judson Independent School District’s most recent superintendent, has withdrawn his request for an independent hearing regarding his proposed termination. The Judson ISD School Board proposed terminating Fields’ employment contract during a vote early last March, following months of debate. view article

A state district court judge set an August trial date for Centerville ISD Superintendent Carole Dickey, who is accused of concealing inappropriate conduct by a district employee. She has been on administrative leave from the district since October. view article

The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the southern and western districts of Texas continue to report a high volume of illegal immigration cases and related crimes. 
The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the southern and western districts of Texas continue to report a high volume of illegal immigration cases and related crimes. 
Last week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas reported over 500 cases filed, a new record high set since the implementation of Operation Take Back America.  These cases include charges filed for illegal entry, reentry following prior removal, and human smuggling crimes. The district reports that many of these individuals have prior felony charges, which include narcotics, assault, immigration offenses, and firearm charges. view article

A lawsuit filed against Millsap ISD, its former superintendent, an elementary school principal and two former educators regarding the alleged abuse of autistic children has been almost entirely dismissed, court records show. Former Millsap ISD superintendent Edie Martin and two former educators -- Jennifer Dale, 44, and Paxton Kendal Bean, 25 -- were arrested in March 2025 after a video of a February incident showed educators allegedly abusing an autistic child in a classroom. view article

In late 2023, Prosper activist Doug Charles said he received internal documents from a former Pogue Construction employee suggesting billing irregularities among $400 million of contracts with Prosper ISD. Charles said he sent the records to the FBI. In 2024, he shared them with a former federal prosecutor and an attorney with expertise in organized crime cases, both of whom work for Dallas law firms owned by former state Sen. Ted Lyon. view article

Seven juveniles are being charged in connection with an incident on a Canyon ISD school bus. According to the Randall County Sheriff's Office, the seven juveniles are being referred to Randall County Juvenile Probation for charges. The incident occurred on Feb. 27 on a Randall High School bus carrying a junior varsity baseball team back from a tournament in Lubbock, according to the criminal complaint. view article

The Randall County Sheriff’s Office has released an update on charges related to the incident on a Canyon ISD school bus. On Tuesday, March 3, the Randall County Sheriff’s Office received reports of possible criminal activity on a Canyon ISD high school bus. The Randall County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division began investigating this. view article

What began as a criminal investigation disguised as an alleged welfare check in October of 2018 set off a chain of events that would take nearly eight years to unwind through criminal court, a federal lawsuit, multiple appellate rulings, and ultimately, a jury verdict finding two former Midland ISD police officers, Alexandra Weaver and Kevin Brunner, liable for violating a family’s constitutional rights. view article

'I am innocent and I am a fighter.'  Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida just got one step closer to being expelled from the House of Representatives.  The House Ethics investigative subcommittee effectively found Cherfilus-McCormick guilty of nearly every campaign finance violation levied against her earlier this year. The bipartisan panel voted to start the process that could lead to Cherfilus-McCormick's expulsion after she was accused of laundering millions of dollars worth of Federal Emergency Management Agency funds related to a COVID-era contract into her campaign account. view article

A dispute over Texas’ new school choice program has escalated into a public clash between Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock and Attorney General Ken Paxton, highlighting tensions within state leadership as litigation continues over the program’s implementation.  In a March 24 letter to Paxton, Hancock raised concerns about alleged terrorism ties among certain schools seeking to participate in the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program and urged additional legal action.  The letter follows a recent federal court order extending the application deadline for families and requiring the state to provide Islamic schools access to apply while lawsuits over their eligibility proceed.   Hancock pointed specifically to Houston Quran Academy, one of the schools the court has temporarily allowed to participate. view article

A former Denton ISD employee was arrested last week and charged with injury to a child following an incident at Strickland Middle School, officials say. According to the Denton Police Department, 22-year-old Alexis Ray turned herself in on Friday on a warrant for the charge. The incident the charge stems from reportedly took place on March 17. view article

Controversy is growing around Austin ISD’s Pride Week, set for this week, as the State Board of Education calls on the district to get rid of the themed week altogether, and some parents argue there are more pressing issues. The debate comes as a new state law, Senate Bill 12, has recently gone into effect. The law bans the use of diversity, equity, and inclusion in public schools and clubs. view article

Officials approved the change after hearing from speakers who argued it would hamper the state’s economy and push immigrants to work without licenses in the black market.   People seeking a host of professional licenses in Texas, from electricians to dog breeders, will soon have to prove they are in the country legally after the state’s Commission of Licensing and Regulation on Tuesday adopted a new rule that could affect thousands of workers.  Commissioners unanimously approved the change after hearing from a parade of speakers who largely asked them to do the opposite because of worries that it will hamper the state’s economy and burden immigrants trying to make an honest living. The speakers also argued the move will push people to work without a license, and erode state oversight of crucial industries. The commission oversees the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which plans to implement the rule May 1. view article

The Blanco County property has not been used for school purposes since 1952.  In Lindig’s case, the trial court came to a different conclusion. Judge Allan Garrett of the 33rd District Court determined that “although the conveyance for school purposes is set forth generally in the deed, the reverter clause does not terminate the grantees’ ownership of the property if it ceases being used for school purposes. Rather, the reverter clause expressly states that it is triggered only if a school house is removed from the land.”  On appeal in 2015, the Third Court of Appeals in Austin affirmed this reasoning, adding that it was “undisputed that the building once used as a school remains on the property.” view article

A Bexar County judge on Friday dismissed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit challenging the county’s immigration legal services program, bringing an end to weeks of legal battles before any court could hear the merits of the case. In Bexar County’s presiding court, 408th Civil District Court Judge Angelica Jimenez granted the county’s motion to dismiss filed earlier this week, ruling the case is moot after the remaining funds tied to the program were already distributed. view article

Litigation over a rigged $95M lottery jackpot includes a fight to hide companies and individuals involved in a scheme dubbed “money laundering” by lawmakers. Defendants in a high-profile lawsuit involving the alleged rigging of the Texas Lottery are continuing to fight attempts to expose their corporate interests.  The controversy surrounding the jackpot in question led Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to describe the Texas Lottery as “probably the biggest money laundering scheme in the country.” view article

A federal court cleared the way for Senate Bill 12, which prohibits drag performances on public property or in front of children, to take effect Wednesday. view article

Regent approval comes at a time of public concern about “Woke AI.”  Khan’s development leave request further elaborates that her intent is to integrate “artificial intelligence with equity-driven practices.”The leave request further states that the project’s objective is to explore “how artificial intelligence can support equity in developmental mathematics.”  On October 3, Casa de Calvo wrote to interim Provost Christopher Markwood in support of Khan’s leave application.   Khan’s “proposal reflects an effort to connect research on pedagogy, equity, and artificial intelligence in ways that may benefit our students and faculty,” wrote Casa de Calvo.  “The project aims to integrate AI with equity-driven practices through the development of an Algorithmic Equity Framework,” Casa de Calvo continues. Khan’s proposal “is aligned with our institutional priorities.”   While state lawmakers prohibited aspects of DEI ideology in 2023, that prohibition does not extend to this sort of research. view article

Judge Bennett cited the “troubling” lack of Islamic schools in ordering the extension.  An Obama-appointed federal judge has extended the state’s application deadline for its new school choice program to March 31, while lawsuits proceed over the exclusion of Islamic schools. The original deadline was Tuesday at 11:59 p.m.   U.S. District Court Judge Alfred Bennett of the Southern District of Texas in Houston reportedly called the lack of Islamic schools “troubling.”   There are two federal lawsuits currently before Judge Bennett challenging Texas’ exclusion of certain Islamic private schools from the program for having terrorist ties. Earlier this week, the State advised the court that it is unopposed to consolidating the two cases. view article

East Texas elementary school employee accused of having child porn arrested  ONALASKA, Texas — An East Texas elementary school employee accused of having child porn was arrested Tuesday night.  Jerry Cobb, 47, was booked into the Angelina County Jail for warrants out of the Onalaska Police Department, including two counts of assault and possession of child pornography, according to OPD. view article

The Washington Post reported that a document was distributed to ICE staff indicating the agency was drafting a letter to potentially terminate the facility’s $1.2 billion contract. view article

Jose Omar Flores-Penaloza was willing to admit that he had entered the United States illegally. He was ready to be deported, according to his attorneys.  But federal prosecutors would not let him go last spring without making him answer for another crime — one he had never heard of.  Weeks earlier, President Donald Trump, to address what he called a national emergency, ordered a stretch of borderland transferred to the military so that troops could help apprehend unauthorized migrants.  Because prosecutors believed Flores-Penaloza had crossed through that zone, now called a national defense area, they charged him with trespassing on military property under statutes including one enacted in 1909 to keep spies away from arsenals.   The added misdemeanors were unlikely to lengthen his sentence; they typically result in time served and deportation. But Flores-Penaloza maintained his innocence in the face of the allegation that could cast him as a national security threat. view article