The family of former Lake Travis High School football player Carter Mannon has filed a lawsuit against the school district alleging officials failed to address an incident last fall in accordance with bullying and discrimination laws after two of Mannon's teammates stuffed his gear and shoes with peanuts before a game last fall. In the lawsuit, the family alleges the district failed to take any action to prevent bullying against their son and that the teammates knew Mannon was severely allergic to peanut products. The lawsuit was filed Saturday by Shawna Mannon, Carter's mother.  "There's no rhyme or reason to the timing (of the complaint)," she told the American-Statesman on Tuesday. "We had exhausted our resources. We had done our due diligence. We're going the legal route because we didn't get what we wanted." view article

2nd victim dies after truck intentionally rammed into Texas DPS office The Texas Department of Public Safety - Southeast Region on Monday reported a second victim has died following an April 12 crash in which a truck was purposely driven into a DPS office. The decedent has been identified as Cheryl Turner, 63, of Brenham. On April 12, a semitrailer driver rammed a stolen 18-wheeler through the front of a public safety building in Brenham where his renewal for a commercial driver’s license had been rejected, killing one person immediately and injuring 13 others. view article

Union leaders blame staffing shortages and too many suspected criminals being allowed to walk free. Houston Police Officers’ Union leaders are warning the public that the City of Houston isn’t safe due to police staffing shortages and the city allowing suspected criminals to walk free. The union’s executive director, Ray Hunt, told Fox News that he’s never seen so many “suspected murderers and capital murderers who are walking the streets of Houston out on multiple bonds.” “I would not let my wife or my kids walk down the streets of Houston at midnight under any circumstances,” said Hunt. “It is not safe in major cities in 2024, and it’s not safe here.” Hunt, along with the union’s President Douglas Griffith, is sounding the alarm as the Houston Police Department struggles to recruit and retain officers. view article

In response to devastating school shootings, Abilene school systems have beefed up security measures. Most notably is Wylie ISD’s enrollment into a newer system called Angel Protection. As it’s on path to be the first school in Texas to fully implement the system, Wylie held a demonstration on Tuesday, inviting officials from area schools and other local leaders to learn all about it. view article

Clear Creek ISD has completed 86% of its intruder detection audit, or IDAs, throughout the district and has had to remedy nine doors throughout the entire district based on audit findings. What you need to know The Texas School Safety Center, or TxSSC, provides safety and security information through research, training and technical assistance for K-12 schools, according to the center’s website. Through Region 4, the TxSSC conducts comprehensive IDAs to assess the security measures of school campuses on an annual basis. view article

An innovative partnership to step up sports medicine care for student athletes in Wichita Falls ISD heralds a new era of community involvement, WFISD School Board President Katherine McGregor said. United Regional Health Care System and WFISD recently announced a groundbreaking agreement to improve athletic care for student-athletes, according to a media release. The partnership means URHCS is the official sports medicine provider for WFISD athletics. A staff member at the United Regional Center for Advanced Orthopedics provides a demonstration Tuesday, April 16, 2024, as Wichita Falls ISD and United Regional Health Care System enter into a sports medicine partnership for student athletes. "The partnership is another example of our larger community working together, and our local families and students are the winners," McGregor said in a statement. "What a blessing for all!" view article

Safety improvements, technology, new campuses and stadium upgrades are on the ballot for North Texas schools this May. Voters will decide billions of dollars worth of bond packages as about a dozen area districts have proposals on the May 4 ballot. ADVERTISEMENT “It’s really about upgrading the learning environment for our students so that it can make it more conducive to learning,” Cedar Hill ISD Superintendent Gerald Hudson said. “Not only for the students but also for the teachers.” The districts’ appeals come as the success of school bonds has diminished in recent years. In 2019, for example, Texas voters approved about 77% of such propositions, according to state data. view article

Abbott has credited his Operation Lone Star for a recent drop in migrant encounters on the Texas-Mexico border.  To Gov. Greg Abbott, the results of his multibillion-dollar border security initiative are clear.  In a recent television interview, Abbott highlighted a decrease in the number of migrants trying to enter the country through the Rio Grande into Eagle Pass after he ordered the state National Guard to seize a 50-acre public park there. He also noted another statistic: Texas has more than two-thirds of the U.S.-Mexico border, but has recently seen fewer illegal crossings than other border states.  “We are having a profound impact in stopping the flow of illegal immigration into the state of Texas,” Abbott said in the interview, crediting Operation Lone Star, the border security initiative he launched in March 2021.  Federal statistics confirm Abbott’s claim that overall more migrants were encountered by Border Patrol agents outside of Texas each of the first three months of this year. During the 2023 fiscal year, Texas on average accounted for roughly 59% of migrant encounters along the southwest border. During the first half of the 2024 fiscal year, which began in October, Texas has on average accounted for 43% of migrant encounters. view article

The West Independent School District was placed on lockdown April 18 after the school’s security software detected a student typing threatening language in reference to a gun in a Google slides presentation, the district told KWTX. West ISD said its Gaggle Safety Team sent administrators an alert about the student’s message at 1:47 p.m. “We received a notification from Gaggle, it’s our filter system, that there was some inappropriate language being typed into a Google product,” Assistant Superintendent Amanda Adams said. view article

CACTUS, Texas (KFDA) - The new state-of-the-art tornado shelter in the middle of Cactus Elementary School is where all 480 of their students will be able to escape should a storm happen. “We’ve got a lot more technology integrated into the whole building. We’re really proud that we have a storm shelter that will house all of our students. Our old building, you know, the winds we’re having today can almost push it over. Just everything new, just move in ready, so that’s going to be nice,” said TJ Funderburg, Cactus Elementary principal. In 2019, a $107 million bond was approved for three new elementary schools, two in Dumas and one in Cactus. view article

More than 40% of the state’s population is Hispanic, but its mental health provider population is more than 80% white.  Lynette Carrillo felt alone. Looking around at her small doctoral psychology class at Texas Woman’s University in 2021, she realized she was the only Spanish speaker.  At that point, Carillo had almost grown used to it. After nearly a decade pursuing degrees at Angelo State University in San Angelo and TWU in Denton, she could count on one hand how many professors and classmates came from diverse backgrounds. It’s just how the mental health field is, she thought.  “For a long time, I didn’t know that there were clinicians who spoke Spanish or who came from diverse backgrounds like me,” she said. “In the Latin culture, community is important, so I had to put in that extra effort to find common ground with my classmates. I had to have that mindset with myself in order not to feel like I was so alone.” view article

A headline that could deeply unsettle any parent: “Klein Cain High School Teacher Charged with Sex Trafficking.” This morning, she’s expected in court to be arraigned on sex trafficking and charges from the alarming details that unfolded. view article

The West Independent School District was put on lockdown after a student gained access to a teacher’s PowerPoint and began typing threatening language in reference to a gun, the district said in a statement. West ISD says their Gaggle Safety Team sent them an alert about the incident at 1:47 p.m. Thursday afternoon. West Middle and High School immediately enacted their Emergency Operations Plan and were put on hold while campus police found the student, according to West ISD. view article

CLERMONT COUNTY, Ohio (WKRC) — An 11-year-old middle school student is in juvenile detention after allegedly confessing to making a threat Wednesday. The boy reported he found a note in the restroom with a bomb threat and threats to shoot the school just before 8 a.m. at West Clermont Middle School. While being interviewed by detectives, the sheriff's office said he confessed to making the note and putting it in the restroom. He said he had no intentions of carrying out any threats and there was no bomb. He reportedly said he just wanted out of school. view article

Dozens of community members gathered at the New Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in West Dallas to discuss safety in public schools.  A Dallas school trustee gathered community members to discuss concerns about gun violence in schools after a student shot a classmate at Wilmer-Hutchins High School last week.  Dozens gathered in West Dallas to hear from trustee Maxie Johnson at the New Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church, where he is a pastor, to discuss the shooting, potential solutions to gun violence and the state’s role in safety measures.  “When I heard that a student was shot,” Johnson said, “my nerves went all over me. I didn’t know what to expect.”  Johnson, who has lost his own son to gun violence in 2019, said parents hurt whenever they receive a call reporting a shooting. “Our children are supposed to bury us. We’re not supposed to bury them.” view article

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Anthony Independent School District (AISD) is taking a high-tech approach to stopping teens from vaping on school grounds. view article

A federal judge has ordered Texas health and human services officials to pay $100,000 per day in fines for routinely neglecting investigations into allegations of abuse and neglect by children in the state’s beleaguered foster care system, according to a Monday order. U.S. District Judge Janis Jack found Texas Health and Human Services Commissioner Cecile E. Young in contempt of her court orders to fix the way the state investigates complaints by children in its care. It is the third time the state has been held in contempt of court orders since a 2011 lawsuit was filed about foster care conditions in the care of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, the child welfare arm of HHS. The judge’s decision was prompted by the “continued recalcitrance” to conduct thorough, accurate and timely abuse, neglect, and exploitation investigations by the agency’s Provider Investigations unit, which investigates those allegations, the 427-page decision reads. view article

‘We put our money where our mouth is’ for future generations, Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson says during ceremonial signing.  The mother of Alyssa Alhadeff, a student who was killed in her English class during the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, stood before a room full of lawmakers and state officials on Wednesday. Lori Alhadeff held a portrait of her daughter in her arms as she applauded Utah for becoming the sixth state to pass “Alyssa’s Law,” legislation mandating silent panic alarms in classrooms that are directly linked to law enforcement.  “We are taking momentous steps forward in safeguarding our children’s well-being,” Alhadeff said, adding the bill represents “our collective commitment to providing a secure learning environment for every child in Utah.” view article

In Texas, 49 public water utility systems have reported surpassing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s first-ever limits for five “forever chemicals” in drinking water, according to data submitted to the federal agency. Experts say there are likely more since not all water systems have submitted their data. PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are widespread and long lasting in the environment. They are called “forever chemicals” because they don't break down and can persist in water and soil, and even human blood indefinitely. The chemicals have been used since the 1940s to repel oil and water and resist heat. They have been included in thousands of household products from nonstick cookware to industrial products like firefighting foam. There are more than 12,000 types of individual forever chemicals, but new EPA standards announced last week set new limits for five of them: PFOA and PFOS have a limit of 4 parts per trillion while PFHxS, PFNA, and HFPO-DA have a limit of 10 parts per trillion. view article

A former Grapeland ISD employee has been arrested after allegedly showing an explicit image to a student. Joshua Jeremaine Kincade, 44, of Neches, was arrested on April 9 on a charge of displaying harmful material to a minor. According to a probable cause affidavit, police were notified that a complaint had been made at Grapeland Junior High School on Feb. 29. Kincade had been working for Grapeland ISD as a substitute teacher and IT assistant. He was fired for a separate incident, the affidavit says, and when a student heard he had been fired she spoke up to a teacher about a previous interaction. The student was sent to the Kalin Children’s Advocacy Center to meet with a forensic interviewer. view article

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - United High School’s main campus hosted a lockdown simulation organized by the United Independent School District (UISD) on Thursday, April 11, to boost preparedness for potential emergencies. Officials from various agencies, including Laredo Fire, Laredo Police, Webb County Sheriff’s Office, ATF, FBI, DPS, and Border Patrol, were invited to observe the drill and learn about the school’s safety procedures.  Ruben Ayala, UISD’s Safety and Crisis Response Manager, emphasized the importance of collaboration, stating, “The reason why we wanted to do this is that what we’ve realized is that the more communication and collaboration with outside agencies. If something would happen, we have a better chance of success. What we’re doing is trying to have everybody working together and learn from each other so that we can make sure that our students and staff are always safe.” view article

Tyler ISD on Thursday announced an initiative to enhance online safety measures for more than 18,300 students and their parents or guardians. As devices play an increasing role in education, it is crucial that safeguards be put in place. This is why U.S. laws require internet filtering technology in schools. Tyler ISD is taking their safety strategy one step further. By partnering with a world-leading provider of parental control app technology, the school district plans to give free parental control tools to every parent in the district. view article

A life or death scene played out earlier this week inside the biggest high school in Texas. An Allen High School student suspected of ingesting fentanyl was found unresponsive in a restroom stall. While the campus was buzzing with excitement over the solar eclipse, school resource officer Matthew Johnson got an emergency call over this radio. "We got called to a high school bathroom, a student had found a kid unresponsive," Johnson said. Johnson said he raced to the restroom and realized quickly the student had suffered a drug overdose. view article

Authorities are investigating threats that were made towards Texoma schools on social media on Wednesday. The Sherman Police Department said police were made aware of a threat that was made on social media towards Sherman High School, and it is working with the Sherman ISD Police Department to investigate the threat and protect the community. In a Facebook post, Denison ISD shared that the Denison ISD Police Department was made aware of a threat that had been made towards the district on Facebook. view article

A Dallas ISD high school student has filed a federal Title VI civil rights complaint claiming the school district enables harassment and discrimination against Jewish students. The 17-page complaint was submitted to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) Tuesday by the student and StandWithUs, a nonprofit that supports Israel and works to combat antisemitism. The complaint details a log of antisemitic incidents dating back to 2021. view article

Multiple law enforcement agencies responded Friday morning to a shooting at Wilmer-Hutchins High School in southeast Dallas, according to Dallas Fire-Rescue officials. Police sources told WFAA that one student was injured and a 17-year-old suspect in the incident, also a student at the school, was taken into custody around 11 a.m. view article

ODESSA — Texas A&M is offering residents of Midland and Ector counties a low-cost test for their well water, screening for harmful — and in some cases, deadly — contaminants.  Scientists will look for three different pollutants, including arsenic, E. Coli and nitrate. They also will test salt levels.  It’s the institution’s latest attempt to encourage the estimated 13,500 private water well owners in both counties who aren’t subject to regulation to test and treat their water regularly. In particular, experts hope to inform residents about arsenic, a carcinogen they said has been found in large concentrations in West Texas water wells.  “It’s a protection thing,” said Joel Pigg, a program specialist coordinating the logistics of such events across Texas. “It’s health and safety.” view article

McALLEN — Certain school district employees in the Rio Grande Valley may be prohibited from holding elected office under a new proposed policy. A state-appointed board of managers selected to oversee the La Joya Independent School District is set to consider banning employees in supervisory positions from holding elected office or from running for elected office at a meeting Thursday. The proposal is part of the district's efforts to correct course following a slew of corruption charges against two school board trustees and three employees. Their indictment and subsequent guilty pleas prompted an investigation by the state into further allegations of fraud within the district, which resulted in the temporary installment of the board of managers in February. view article

A chemical company, Avina Clean Hydrogen Inc., has purchased the last available water supply from the Nueces River of South Texas, raising concerns as reservoirs dwindle and drought persists. Avina’s Nueces Green Ammonia plant plans to separate the hydrogen from water, convert it to ammonia and export it as a high-tech fuel alternative to oil and gas. It’s one of several such projects currently proposed in Texas, driven by federal subsidies. Governments and scientists say this technology plays an important role in the transition away from fossil fuels. But officials in the nearby city of Corpus Christi have warned that the project could threaten the water supply for more than 600,000 regional customers. “Increased water drawn solely from the Nueces River system could dramatically increase the potential for scarcity,” wrote Corpus Christi’s director of intergovernmental relations, Ryan Skrobarczyk, in a March 1 memo to state lawmakers, first reported by the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. “A new large-volume user of the Nueces River will require extensive and exact monitoring to avoid increased drought restrictions.” view article

ext month marks the two-year anniversary of the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, during which 19 elementary-school students and two teachers lost their lives, and 17 other people were shot. So far this year, there have been at least 50 shootings on school grounds, causing 16 deaths. So it's probably not surprising that more than half of public-school K-12 teachers in the U.S. are at least somewhat worried about a shooting in their place of work. In a new survey by Pew Research Center, about a quarter of teachers report that their school had at least one gun-related lockdown in the last year, and 15% had more than one. Most of the teachers whose school had such a lockdown taught at high school level and in urban areas. Teachers in urban schools were also the most likely to say they felt their school had ill-prepared them for a shooting, and the least likely to say the school had an armed guard. Overall, view article

However, experts note over 20 percent of the city’s illegal alien population have arrived by direct flights from foreign airports.  The U.S. Department of Homeland Security “secretly” approved the arrival of 33,000 illegal aliens directly into New York City, according to a senior fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies  Todd Bensman explained this 33,000 figure makes up 22 percent of New York City’s estimated illegal alien population and U.S. taxpayers are forced to finance these trips.  Meanwhile, around 25 percent of New York City’s estimated 150,000 illegal aliens were brought from Texas. view article

Chemical company Avina Clean Hydrogen Inc. has purchased the last available water supply from the Nueces River of South Texas, raising concerns of regional scarcity as reservoirs dwindle and drought persists. Avina’s Nueces Green Ammonia plant plans to separate the hydrogen from water, convert it to ammonia and export it as a high-tech fuel alternative to oil and gas. It’s one of several such projects currently proposed in Texas, driven by federal subsidies. Governments and scientists say this technology plays an important role in the transition away from fossil fuels. But officials in the nearby city of Corpus Christi have warned that the project could threaten water supply for more than 600,000 regional customers. view article

A teacher at Cy-Fair High School has been arrested and accused of having sex with a student on multiple occasions. The allegations were brought to light when Burbank’s girlfriend found text messages between him and the student on his phone. view article

Klein Cain High School teacher Kedria Grigsby and her son Roger Magee are in Harris County Jail.   view article

A teacher was arrested on child sex trafficking and prostitution-related charges involving students, Texas authorities say. Kedria Grigsby, 42, faces three counts each of trafficking of children and compelling prostitution along with her son, 21-year-old Roger Magee, who was previously arrested, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said. The compelling prostitution charge is defined as when a person knowingly “causes another by force, threat, coercion or fraud to commit prostitution.” The charge can also be applied when a person causes a child to commit prostitution. Read more at: https://www.kentucky.com/news/nation-world/national/article287509950.html#storylink=cpy view article