A substitute teacher won't be allowed to return to Almeta Crawford High School after assaulting a 14-year-old student on Wednesday afternoon, officials said. Cell phone video shows the teacher picking up the boy and slamming him into a countertop as other students attempt to intervene. view article

In the ongoing situation regarding a former Celina ISD coach accused of improper conduct with middle school students, a disagreement over evidence is now taking place. https://www.fox4news.com/news/celina-isd-investigation-police-vs-attorneys view article

Austin ISD has videos showing Waymo, a self-driving vehicle, illegally passing its school buses 20 times since the first week of classes, August 2025, to now. Related view article

A teacher from Aldine ISD has been released on bond after being arrested on charges of child sexual assault, according to court records. Aldine ISD says Derrick Banks, 39, is an agriculture teacher at Eisenhower High School. Court records show he had two warrants for the first-degree felony offense of aggravated sexual assault of a child under the age of 14 for the past two years. view article

New details have been released after a Harper ISD Assistant Band Director was arrested for illegally recording a minor. On Thursday, Gillespie County released the full arrest affidavit of Pedro DeLuna III, who was arrested on Monday for allegedly recording a 15-year-old Harper High School student. view article

Celina ISD now faces a fourth lawsuit over allegations that a former teacher recorded students changing in the boys’ locker room. And attorneys say new evidence shows the district may have been aware of the misconduct before it was reported  Caleb Elliott, a former eighth-grade football coach at Moore Middle School in Celina ISD, was arrested in October after a student reported that Elliott was intentionally photographing boys “in various states of undress” in the locker room. Elliott now faces39 criminal charges, including eight federal charges of sexual exploitation of children. He has been in custody since Nov. 7.  Texas House Rep. Mitch Little from Denton told reporters at a press conference outside the Collin County courthouse that multiple witnesses report another football coach at Moore Middle School confronted Elliott about his behavior before a student reported it to school principal Allison Ginn Oct.3. view article

A group of Tarrant County residents who sued over the county’s new commissioners court precinct map withdrew their lawsuit Monday.  It’s not clear from court filings why the group that filed the case, titled Jackson et. al. v. Tarrant County, decided to drop it. But it ends one of two lawsuits accusing Tarrant County of illegal racial gerrymandering.  KERA News has reached out to attorneys on both sides for comment.  I  n an emailed statement, Republican County Judge Tim O’Hare welcomed the news.  “The Commissioners Court’s action to redistrict was constitutional from the outset and remains so,” he said. “With today’s legal development, Tarrant County will continue to stand as the best place to live and run a business in America.” view article

In November, on Austin’s South First Street, cameras caught a Waymo automated vehicle drive past an Austin Independent School District school bus’ flashing stop signs. At first, the driverless car stopped while a student crossed in front of it – but video shows the car accelerating forward before the student could cross the other lane of traffic or get out of the road. Just two days before, in north Austin, bus surveillance cameras also recorded a different Waymo illegally passing an AISD bus as students crossed the street. view article

Harper ISD is notifying families after a former district employee was arrested in connection with an off-campus incident involving a minor. According to a statement from the district, Pedro DeLuna III, a former staff member, was arrested on Dec. 1, following allegations that he recorded invasive visual material of a 15-year-old girl. The alleged incident did not occur on school property and happened outside of school hours. view article

After receiving two favorable rulings from judges, a coalition of advocacy groups filed their third lawsuit Tuesday challenging a new state law that requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom in Texas.  The new case was brought against 16 Texas school districts, adding Katy, Clear Creek, Deer Park, Pearland and Magnolia ISDs to the litigation. Courts have already barred the displays in Conroe, Houston, Fort Bend and Cypress-Fairbanks ISDs.  The latest filing comes in an ongoing effort from groups such as the ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation. They represent families across the state who say placing posters of the Ten Commandments violates their First Amendment protections. All three cases have been filed in San Antonio federal court in the Western District of Texas.  Tuesday’s filing is the first class-action lawsuit the groups have brought in the Ten Commandments litigation. T view article

A former Rivera Early College High School teacher pleaded guilty to a charge of improper relationship between educator and student, according to court records. Julio Ricardo Trujillo was arrested in May following an investigation by the Cameron County District Attorney's Office. He entered his guilty plea on Monday. As previously reported, an affidavit alleged Trujillo had intercourse with a 19-year-old female student at least three times. view article

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has called for the District Attorneys and Sheriffs of Dallas and Collin Counties to investigate "Sharia Courts" in North Texas along with the Texas Attorney General and Texas Department of Public Safety in a letter he sent to all four agencies. view article

My favorite article that I have written over the years is one on official state holidays and recognitions. I find it fascinating to see which lobbyists succeed in recognitions for their cause. I look at this calendar and wonder why Monarch butterflies and veterinarian technicians get their own week, Lung Cancers Awareness gets only one day, Gold Star mothers get a day but not fathers, and there are no recognition days in December? Did you know that the 11 th day of each month is a recognition “day?”

It's sickening that a sex offender ... was given access to vulnerable students to potentially victimize them.' Aconvicted sex offender college professor whose criminal past made him "ineligible for legal status in the United States" has been arrested by ICE, according to a DHS press release published earlier this week.  On November 12, ICE officers arrested Sumith Gunasekera of Sri Lanka in Detroit. According to the press release, he told officers that he was employed as an associate professor at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan, about 200 miles northwest of Detroit. view article

A former Celina ISD coach arrested three times on child sexual abuse charges is a facing a new charge — and now a third lawsuit from two more alleged victims. Court records show Caleb Elliot, 26, was charged Nov. 25 with sexual performance of a child, a second-degree felony. That same day, two families filed a new suit against Elliot claiming district officials dismissed a report made by a Celina ISD employee about Elliot's "inappropriate behavior." view article

A state law that bans DEI programs and discussion of LGBTQ+ identities in K-12 schools will go to court Dec. 10, teeing up what is expected to be a yearslong battle over free speech in public education. A coalition of Texas LGBTQ and teacher advocacy groups, students and a teacher are asking Trump-appointed Judge Charles Eskridge of the Southern District of Texas in Houston to halt all Texas public K-12 and charter school districts from enforcing parts of a state law that schools have leveraged to cut Gender and Sexualities Alliance (GSA) clubs and bar teachers from using gender-affirming pronouns. view article

In an X post on Wednesday, State Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, said he was donating enough Ten Commandment posters to go in every classroom within Manor Independent School District. Sen. Middleton said in the video that he donated the posters because he did not believe the elected state representative for the area, State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, would donate any posters. Talarico voted against Senate Bill 10, which requires public schools to display donated copies of the Ten Commandments in classrooms. view article

The Secretary of State’s Office didn’t initially check with the Department of Public Safety, which collects proof of citizenship from people who register to vote through them. view article

A former elementary school teacher and soccer coach accused of sexually assaulting multiple children has been returned to Houston after fleeing to Peru while out on bond, according to Precinct 5 Constable Terry Allbritton’s Office. Wilbert Sequeiros, who worked for Houston ISD and Klein ISD, is accused of sexually assaulting at least seven boys and girls between the ages of 7 and 10 between 2014 and 2019. The allegations surfaced in 2019, prompting his arrest the following year. view article

A Montgomery County man who works as a school bus driver was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a child, according to the sheriff's office. Deputies say they responded to a report of a child sexual assault at the 10000 block of Royal Duaine Drive in Conroe on Thanksgiving, around 3 p.m. view article

A Cleveland ISD bus driver has been arrested and charged with sexual assault of a child after Montgomery County deputies responded to a report at a Conroe home Thursday afternoon, the sheriff’s office said. Deputies were called around 3 p.m. Thursday to the 10000 block of Royal Duaine Drive, where Special Victims Unit detectives began an investigation, according to the sheriff’s office. view article

In an X post on Wednesday, State Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, said he was donating enough Ten Commandment posters to go in every classroom within Manor Independent School District. Sen. Middleton said in the video that he donated the posters because he did not believe the elected state representative for the area, State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, would donate any posters. Talarico voted against Senate Bill 10, which requires public schools to display donated copies of the Ten Commandments in classrooms. view article

A Cleveland ISD bus driver was arrested by the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and is facing sexual assault charges, according to officials. view article

A former Celina ISD middle school coach is now facing yet another criminal charge, filed on the same day a third civil lawsuit was brought forward, as community members continue to question whether additional allegations may still come to light. view article

In case you are running low on things to worry about this semester, never fear. This article is dedicated to the False Claims Act (FCA), another tool the federal government appears happy to point in the direction of public schools.

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.

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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