Texas is suing 23andMe  to prevent the genetic testing firm from selling personal data of state residents as the company's bankruptcy case moves forward.   In the lawsuit, state Attorney General Paxton said his goal is to force the company to adhere to Texas’ data privacy laws, which prohibit the unauthorized sale of genetic information without an individual's consent.   “Texas’s strong data privacy laws grant consumers property rights to their genetic information and require companies to obtain user consent before sharing any of this highly confidential data,” Paxton said in a statement.  view article

Several families are suing Millsap ISD in Parker County over alleged abuse of special needs students, including a nonverbal autistic boy. Three former Millsap ISD staff members, including the superintendent, were arrested in connection with the investigation and no longer work for the district. The lawsuit claims district officials attempted to cover up the abuse, and more families have come forward with similar allegations. + view article

Judge Franklin is accused of telling a defendant he had better accept the plea deal because “dead men can’t testify.” view article

Boerne Middle School North Principal Daniel Owen resigned Wednesday, following his arrest last week for driving while intoxicated, according to school officials. A letter from Superintendent Dr. Kristin Craft addressed to "BMSN families and staff" told of Owen's resignation after he'd been placed on paid administrative leave Monday. "Under Mr. Owen's guidance, BMSN has continued to excel academically and foster a supportive, student-centered environment," Craft wrote. "His commitment to excellence and to building a strong campus culture has been evident in the success of our students and staff." view article

A judge on Tuesday ruled that the PSJA ISD school board can censure a trustee as long as that person is provided three-day notice and a proper resolution for the action. The judge also extended a temporary restraining order prohibiting the censure until June 16. School board member Cynthia Gutierrez filed the lawsuit against board president Diana Serna, and fellow trustees Carlos Villegas and Yolanda Castillo on May 27. view article

A Boerne Independent School District principal accused early Friday of driving drunk has bonded out of the Kendall County Detention Center, according to reports. Boerne Middle School North Principal Daniel Owen, 48, is charged with driving-while-intoxicated-second offense and unlawful carrying of a weapon, officials said. view article

Wood County investigators say that a former teacher and coach of Winnsboro ISD has been arrested for having an improper relationship with a student. Nicholas Gabriele was employed as an assistant football coach and economics teacher at Winnsboro High School during the 2024-25 school year. Sometime during the school year, he began a relationship with a high school student. Investigators got information and evidence that Gabriele had been having sex with the student, including information and concerns from members of the community. view article

Experts say Wednesday’s action to eliminate the long-standing policy could be a “collusive lawsuit,” where the state and feds worked the courts to get a desired outcome.  On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice sued Texas over its long-standing state law allowing undocumented students to get in-state tuition. The lawsuit was barely on the books before Texas surrendered without a fight, asking a judge to strike down the law — which he did. view article

During the 87th (2021) legislative session, the Legislature quietly expanded the authority of the Commissioner to investigate complaints against public schools and intervene beyond accreditation matters. These legislative revisions to Chapter 39 of the Texas Education Code (TEC) are resulting in a new wave of investigations into locally controlled policies and procedures like school district discipline procedures, bullying and harassment policies, and even student record keeping—previously considered the domain of local school officials and beyond the reach of officials in Austin. As a result, filing a complaint with TEA’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has become the weapon of choice for anyone disgruntled with the actions of a public school.

Eight gang members, 11 convicted child predators, and a criminal alien who illegally entered the country 21 times were among those removed.  U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has deported 142 criminal aliens from the Houston area to Mexico.  Among them were eight known gang members, 11 convicted child predators, and one individual who had entered the country illegally 21 separate times.  Collectively, the group illegally entered the country 480 times and accumulated 473 criminal convictions for a wide range of serious crimes, including:  11 convictions for child sex crimes  76 convictions for driving while intoxicated (DWI)  43 convictions for aggravated assault and domestic violence  22 convictions for human smuggling view article

Paxton accused the El Paso-based Catholic non-profit of harboring illegal aliens in February 2024. 
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The U.S. Department of Justice is suing Texas over its law allowing undocumented students to receive in-state tuition, days after the state Legislature adjourned without passing a bill to repeal the statute. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement that Texas is in conflict with federal laws and two recent executive orders from President Donald Trump that prohibit taxpayer dollars from being used to benefit undocumented immigrants, including by offering in-state tuition.  “Under federal law, schools cannot provide benefits to illegal aliens that they do not provide to U.S. citizens,” Bondi said in a statement Wednesday. “The Justice Department will relentlessly fight to vindicate federal law and ensure that U.S. citizens are not treated like second-class citizens anywhere in the country.”  The lawsuit was filed in the Wichita Falls division of the Northern District of Texas, where U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor hears all cases. O’Connor, appointed by President George W. Bush, has long been a favored judge for the Texas attorney general’s office and conservative litigants. view article

Borrowers who have defaulted on their federal student loans will no longer be at risk of having their Social Security benefits garnished, an Education Department spokesperson said Tuesday.  The government last month restarted collections for the millions of people in default on their loans. An estimated 452,000 people aged 62 and older had student loans in default, according to a January report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.  The department has not garnished any Social Security benefits since the post-pandemic resumption of collections and has paused “any future Social Security offsets,” department spokesperson Ellen Keast said. view article

Just two days after the Texas Legislature adjourned without passing legislation to end in-state tuition for illegal aliens, the Trump administration’s Department of Justice has filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Texas.  Now, the state has settled, ending the discounted tuition for illegals for now.  Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, the lawsuit challenges longstanding provisions of the Texas Education Code that allow certain illegal aliens to pay in-state tuition at public colleges and universities—rates that are significantly lower than those charged to U.S. citizens from other states.  “Federal law prohibits illegal aliens from getting in-state tuition benefits that are denied to out-of-state U.S. citizens,” the DOJ complaint reads. “There are no exceptions. Yet the State of Texas has ignored this law for years.” view article

Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath applauded the district for its improvements while citing the need for more time to “achieve lasting success for students.”  The state takeover of the Houston Independent School District will continue for two more years, the Texas Education Agency announced Monday.  Education Commissioner Mike Morath had until June 1 to decide next steps for the state’s largest school district, whose former superintendent and elected school board members were ousted and replaced in 2023 due to years of poor academic outcomes at a single campus and allegations of leadership misconduct. view article

The Legislature wrapped up without the same drama that defined the end of the last two sessions, with state GOP leaders checking off nearly everything on their to-do lists. view article

Both the Supreme Court of Texas and lower-level courts are considering whether Texas judges can refuse to officiate same-sex weddings.  After she refused to officiate a same-sex wedding, the State Commission on Judicial Conduct issued McLennan County Justice of the Peace Dianne Hensley a “Public Warning” in November 2019. Hensley sued the commission, which is responsible for investigating allegations of judicial misconduct, citing her religious objections to performing the weddings. view article

Travis County prosecutors say there is insufficient evidence to charge a long-time Austin Independent School District executive with tampering with government records. In a court record filed on Wednesday, the Travis County District Attorney’s Office stated that it would not file charges. view article

Two women accused in the abuse of multiple disabled Longview elementary students appeared in court Friday. Cassandra James, 51, of Hallsville and Linda Lister, 63, of Longview, are two of six people accused of abusing 11 students at J.L. Everhart Elementary from 2019 to 2021. A $2.5 million settlement was reached between Longview ISD and the affected families in 2023. view article

Campus administrators at Pease Middle School in the Northside ISD said Friday they are conducting an investigation after a special education teacher brought several cans of Hard Mountain Dew Blast, a drink that contains alcohol, to the school and made them available to students in three classes. This occurred on Thursday, May 29, the last day of school. In a statement, district officials explained that the staff member brought the drinks, not realizing that they contained alcohol, as a treat for students. view article

A Canyon Lake High School teacher has resigned amid allegations of inappropriate conduct with a former student, the Comal Independent School District confirmed to KSAT on Friday. Comal ISD said it was notified of the allegations on Monday against Sarah Grudle. The district told KSAT that the alleged conduct occurred during the 2020-21 school year. view article

Parents in Woodville ISD are left appalled following their middle schoolers coming back home with burn injuries Monday. Investigations are underway in Tyler County after students claimed they were forced to bear crawl. “I think he made a bad judgement call, very bad,” said a Woodville ISD mother, Latasha Hubbard. view article

With a tie result, the high court upholds an Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling that found it was unconstitutional to give the school taxpayer money.  The Supreme Court’s unsigned opinion consists of one sentence: “The judgment is affirmed by an equally divided Court.” No reasons for the ruling were provided. How the individual justices voted was not disclosed. view article

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has launched a new chapter in immigration policy with the inaugural charter flight under “Project Homecoming,” a voluntary self-deportation initiative.   On Monday, a flight departed Houston carrying 64 illegal aliens who chose to return to their home countries—38 to Honduras and 26 to Colombia—using the newly introduced CBP Home App. view article

A McKinney ISD employee was recently arrested for indecency with a child, officials say. Andrew Hansen, who worked in McKinney ISD's technology department, was arrested May 15 on a complaint of indecency with a child, the district confirmed. He was booked into the Collin County Jail May 15, but didn't appear in Collin County jail records by May 20. view article

The Calvert ISD School Board unanimously voted to censure member James Green at an emergency board meeting on May 7. He was among a dozen suspects arrested during a 2-day prostitution sting in Waco in late April. view article

A student-teacher with Leander ISD has been arrested for allegedly having sex with a student. 22-year-old Darian Christine Rogers of Austin has been charged with second-degree felony improper relationship between an educator and a student. Rogers was booked into the Williamson County Jail on May 16 and released on a $20,000 bond on May 17. view article

A former employee at Bear Branch Junior High in Magnolia ISD was arrested Saturday in The Woodlands after a teenage student reported sexual assault. Sheila Leticia Valdivieso, 46, was taken into custody at her home by Montgomery County Precinct 5 deputies. view article

On May 17, 2025, the Montgomery County Precinct 5 Constable’s Office executed an arrest warrant on Sheila Leticia Valdivieso at her home in The Woodlands. Valdivieso, a 46 year old para-professional at Bear Branch Junior High was accused late last week of sexually assaulting a teenage student. view article

The Mercedes Independent School District superintendent has been arrested on a charge of driving while intoxicated on Friday, according to Cameron County jail records. Jail records say Benjamin Clinton was arrested by the Texas Department of Public Safety and issued a $2,500 bond. It is unclear if he has bonded out. According to DPS spokesperson Sgt. Maria Hernandez, Clinton was originally pulled over for a traffic violation on State Highway 100 near FM 1847 at around 6 p.m. He was later arrested on a DWI charge. view article

39-year-old Kyle Rocha is currently in the middle of a criminal case on a felony charge of injuring a child, intending bodily harm. Rocha’s employment as a Brownsboro ISD Behavioral Specialist Teacher was terminated following a school district investigation before his arrest on Sept 24, 2024. According to an affidavit, the incident resulting in the charge happened on Sept. 13, 2024, at Chandler Elementary School in Rocha’s behavioral classroom. view article

The Texas Lottery Commission has referred a high-profile investigation into alleged fraud and criminal activity surrounding the state lottery to the Federal Bureau of Investigation following a detailed complaint and mounting public scrutiny.  The referral, included in a previously undisclosed investigative report, is the latest escalation in a scandal that has rocked the Texas Lottery, implicating former executives and ticket reseller companies and raising questions about the integrity of multi-million dollar jackpots.  In a letter dated February 26, 2025, then-Executive Director Ryan Mindell informed state lawmakers that the agency had completed an initial review of allegations raised in a letter sent to the agency in January.  John Brier submitted a 20-page letter and 32 supporting exhibits detailing years of alleged criminal conduct by principals of Lottery.com—a so-called lottery courier company—and former Lottery Commission Executive Director Gary Grief. view article

A Jefferson County judge, on Tuesday, revoked the probation of and sentenced a former electrical contractor to nine years in prison for defrauding the Beaumont Independent School District of $1.2 million more than a dozen years ago. Calvin Gary Walker, of Beaumont, is currently free on a personal recognizance bond pending the outcome of his appeal. He appeared before Judge John Stevens in Jefferson County's Criminal District Court on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, for a hearing on a motion to revoke his probation. view article

The settlement follows a Texas lawsuit accusing the tech giant of violating state privacy laws.  This historic agreement, announced late Friday, is the culmination of years of litigation. In 2022, Paxton’s office sued Google, alleging that the company unlawfully tracked and collected Texans’ private data.  view article

A former Pflugerville ISD employee has been arrested and charged with what the district called "serious criminal offenses." Marissa Juarez was arrested this month. Pflugerville ISD said she was an administrative assistant with the district and was hired in August 2024. view article