A Celina ISD teacher is in jail after police said she was impaired while on the campus of Moore Middle School. She’s the second teacher from the school to face criminal charges this month. view article

A Mansfield ISD teacher was fired this week after his arrest on charges of child pornography, sexual assault of a child and improper relationship with a student. Jared Young, 33, was a science teacher at Legacy High School and a coach of freshman football and basketball teams. view article

The case stems from a coach’s illegal recording of undressed middle school boys in the locker room.   view article

Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into Lorex Technology Inc. over concerns that its products may be tied to the Chinese Communist Party and present a risk to national security.   Paxton’s probe targets whether Lorex, a security camera company that was previously owned by the Chinese tech giant Dahua, is deceptively marketing surveillance cameras to Texans as safe and secure.   Lorex confirmed that it is aware of the attorney general’s probe and wrote, “We fully intend to contest the allegations made by the Attorney General, and we are confident that a fair hearing will determine that Lorex has taken the appropriate steps to safeguard customer privacy.”  Federal agencies have flagged Dahua as a “Chinese military company” and have implemented bans and restrictions on its products due to hacking and surveillance risks.​ view article

Texas school districts could be held liable for sexual misconduct involving teachers and students thanks to a new state law. State Representative Mitch Little from Lewisville discussed that law on Wednesday at a press conference at the Collin County courthouse in McKinney, where a pending lawsuit against Celina ISD accuses a former football coach of filming students undressing in the boys locker room. view article

There are increasing calls for transparency, along with more threats of legal action, in the case of former Celina ISD teacher and coach Caleb Elliott. The community is also grappling with the district's decision to place Bill Elliott, the suspect's father, who is also the head football coach at Celina High School and the district's athletic director, on 'non-disciplinary' paid leave. view article

The legal battle over West Texas A&M University’s drag show ban has taken a new turn after the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to rehear the case en banc—that is, before all 17 active judges of the appellate court.   This development means the court has vacated an earlier 2-1 panel ruling that had temporarily blocked the university’s drag ban and found that Spectrum WT, the campus LGBT student group, was likely to succeed on First Amendment grounds.​   The earlier ruling, issued in August, sided with the student group and said that the drag show was protected expressive conduct, and that the campus venue was a designated public forum subject to strict constitutional scrutiny.  view article

The Houston Independent School District filed a lawsuit against the Texas Attorney General's Office in an attempt to keep public information from our 13 Investigates team. 13 Investigates has been formally requesting information about the district's relationship with the agency for months and hasn't gotten any answers, so sending an open records request for emails was our next move. view article

State Rep. Jeff Leach (R-Plano) sent a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on October 23, requesting his office “undertake an outside and independent investigation into the shocking reports out of Celina ISD in Collin County.”  view article

A Collinsville ISD high school baseball coach has been placed on administrative leave over allegations of inappropriate communication with a student. Collinsville ISD superintendent Matthew Davenport confirmed that Collinsville High School baseball coach Derrick Jenkins has been placed on leave after receiving a report of inappropriate communication between Jenkins and a Collinsville ISD student. view article

Kristen Eichel, Coppell ISD’s former assistant superintendent for administrative services, was arrested Oct. 7 for property theft. According to Denton County bond records, Eichel was arrested on Tuesday, Oct. 7 for theft of property valued between $100 and $750. Eichel posted a $1,000 cash bond on Oct. 8 and was released from the Denton County Jail. view article

Cedar Hill ISD is working with police to investigate allegations involving former students and two of the district's band directors, according to a letter from Cedar Hill High School's principal sent to parents that was obtained by WFAA. According to the letter, the two employees were placed on leave pending the result of the police investigation. The letter stated that there are no allegations involving current students. view article

Governments rely on private contractors, or vendors. Many times, using a vendor is either more efficient, less expensive, or gives the government access to expertise that it does not have. Given the ubiquitous nature of contracts with the private sector, devoting some time and attention to your vendor contracts is important.

During the 89th Regular Legislative Session, HB 6 made a number of changes to Chapter 37 of the Texas Education Code and the content of the 2025-2026 Student Code of Conduct. Many of these changes will likely be welcomed by Texas public schools, such as the ability to have more discretion in the determination of appropriate behavioral consequences for a student found in possession of a VAPE device.

If you’re one of the many Texas school districts operating under a District of Innovation (DOI) Plan, you’ve already embraced flexibility and local control. But with each legislative session, it becomes increasingly important to reevaluate whether your plan still fits within the legal boundaries.

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.

Congratulations on passing your bond. It’s time to get to work. Let’s, for just a few minutes, set aside the beautiful architectural renderings and the excitement of the benefits that your construction program will bring to you community, and talk about ways to minimize the risk inherent in such a large undertaking.

Receiving a subpoena to testify for the first time can be daunting for most educators and school administrators. Preparation will ensure your testimony is clear and accurate. Whether the case involves student welfare, special education disputes, personnel matters, or other legal issues, below are key steps for teachers and administrators to prepare to testify under subpoena:

Spring break is right around the corner! While schools welcome a much-needed break, they must also be ready to welcome possible new transfer students upon return. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) imposes certain requirements regarding the provision of special education services to students who transfer from one public agency to another. See 34 C.F.R. § 300.323(e)-(g). Within the past year, the Commissioner revised the administrative rules governing how Texas districts must respond when a special education student transfer into their district from another public school district (in-state or out-of-state). The following is a brief overview of those obligations for mid-year transfer students.

While “tangible” property has always been a consideration in school district management, the rise of the importance of “intellectual” property (IP) has introduced a new realm of assets that require thorough and thoughtful safekeeping. From educational material and district branding to the fast-developing sphere of artificial intelligence (AI) and name, image, and likeness (NIL), IP is now a major cornerstone of scholastic and operational success for most school districts.

A Garland ISD employee is on administrative leave after allegedly taking photos of a female elementary school student while she was in the restroom. The incident reportedly took place during the week of March 29 at Abbett Elementary, according to an email sent to parents on Thursday, April 1. view article

Pursuant to subsection 38.001(f) of the Education Code, the Legislature provided that a student who has not received the immunizations required by law “for reasons of conscience, including because of the person’s religious beliefs, may be excluded from school in times of emergency or epidemic declared by the commissioner of public health.” Read in context, a court likely would conclude that this exception does not permit exclusion of students who lack vaccinations unrelated to an existing "epidemic" contemplated by subsection 38.001(f). view article

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On May 4, 2020, the Department of Education (“DOE”) issued new Title IX regulations, which direct how educational institutions receiving federal funds must address reports of sexual harassment and sexual assault involving both students and employees. view article

At SL&A, we offer a full array of legal services for our school law clients throughout Texas. We strive to deliver a high-level of client service through teamwork, calling upon our attorneys’ decades of public and private experience to provide practical solutions and advice for all school needs. view article

Officers with the Hudson ISD Police Department arrested a former math teacher for the school district on Monday in connection to allegations that he had an improper relationship with a high school student that included sexual contact. view article

On Friday, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) officially filed a grievance against the Wimberley Independent School District, according to our partners at the Austin-American Statesman. The grievance is the result of an email Superintendent Dwain York sent to some parents in December 2019 regarding the altering of the district's logo to include the colors of the gay pride flag, according to the Statesman. view article

A former student has filed a lawsuit against Dallas ISD after he lost his status as his high school’s salutatorian a day before graduation due to a last minute change in rankings. In June, the district apologized after class rankings at Woodrow Wilson High School were changed right before graduation because of a calculation error. Now a former student is suing Dallas ISD, claiming that the change will affect his applications to universities and employers. view article

Terry Burchett, 69, was arrested in South Carolina on February 18 on charges of child pornography. He was found to be in possession of over 9,800 sexually explicit images of children according to the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office. view article

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed against Irving ISD and the city of Irving by Ahmed Mohamed's family, according to Dallas Morning News. Ahmed made headlines when he was 14 years old and made a clock in school that was mistaken for a bomb in 2015. His family stated that his civil rights were violated when he was arrested at MacArthur High School and charged with making a "hoax bomb." The charge was later dropped, but he was still suspended. view article

A Lockhart High School science teacher has been arrested for having an improper relationship with a 17-year-old male student. Sarah Fowlkes started at the district in October 2014. On March 10, 2017 a school administrator reached out to Lockhart Police after receiving a "concerning report." LPD launched an investigation and determined Fowlkes was engaged in sexual contact with the student. view article

The plaintiffs continued building their case Tuesday in the instance of a student at Lewisville ISD who is suing the school for Title IX violations. The girl was 14 years old when she said she went to a high school party and got sexually assaulted by two high school football players at Hebron, a school in the Lewisville district. view article

When Deron Harrington filed a lawsuit on behalf of three parents in May 2015, he was trying to make sure the district where his kids attended school was following student truancy laws. He had a hunch that wasn't the case. At the time, Fort Bend ISD was making headlines for referring thousands of students to the county's specialized truancy court. Data showed a disproportionate number of the district's students referred to truancy court were African-American. As a lawyer, Harrington thought he could make a difference. view article

On March 11, 2016, the Texas Education Agency Commissioner of Education, Mike Morath, requested an opinion from the Texas Attorney General on the implementation of SB 507. This new law requires video surveillance of certain special education settings upon request beginning in the 2016-2017 school year. In an earlier blog post, I outlined the provisions of SB 507. view article

More than two months after a tornado hit Shields Elementary School in northern Ellis County on Dec. 26, Red Oak ISD confirmed Thursday that the original builder of the school, Ratcliff Constructors, has agreed to pay for the repairs. Fox 4's Lori Brown began investigating concerns about the quality of construction at the school  in Glenn Heights after an exterior wall collapsed in the tornado. view article