Jody Edwards was fired from Waco High School after his arrest for felony child grooming. view article

A now-former Lubbock teacher and coach is accused of sexually assaulting an underage student multiple times at school and exchanging “numerous” nude images with the girl via cellphone.  Jeremy Scott Maxfield, 41, was arrested by U.S. Marshals and charged with three counts of sexual assault of a child and one count of improper relationship between educator and student.  The alleged assaults occurred in 2019 while the victim was a student in Lubbock Independent School District. view article

A San Antonio KIPP charter school teacher was arrested after a 15-year-old female student accused the educator of forcibly hugging and fondling her at the end of the last school year.  Priscilla Castro, 27, was arrested Friday night on a charge of indecency with a child by sexual contact, a second-degree felony punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison.  Castro was a teacher at KIPP University Prep High School in San Antonio when the alleged sexual misconduct occurred on May 23. view article

A lawmaker will now be tasked with implementing the law he wrote.   State Sen. Brandon Creighton is expected to be named the sole finalist for the Texas Tech University System’s Chancellorship.  Cody Campbell, chairman of the Texas Tech Board of Regents, announced August 31 that “after a lengthy, thorough, and comprehensive search, I expect that the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents will unanimously name Senator Brandon Creighton as the Sole Finalist for our Chancellor of the Texas Tech University System.”  Campbell further called Creighton “a strong voice in the fight to get our colleges and universities back on track and clearly shares the values and the vision of the Texas Tech community.” view article

The law does not specifically ban the possession of THC vape pens, but those who sell them face up to a year in jail and a $4,000 penalty. view article

Paxton suggested students start with the Lord's Prayer, a prayer that is core to Christianity. view article

The Aledo Independent School District violated federal laws over special education in its dealing with more than a dozen students with disabilities, according to the Texas Education Agency, which regulates the state’s public schools. Read more at: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/fort-worth/crossroads/article311885126.html#storylink=cpy view article

The law took effect on September 1.  A coalition of left-wing groups and individuals has filed a lawsuit against the State of Texas over the implementation of the state-wide ban on DEI-related curriculum and gender ideology in K-12 schools.   The lawsuit was filed on August 28, just days before the law took effect on September 1. It was filed in a federal district court in Houston.  The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas filed a lawsuit against Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath and the Independent School Districts of Houston, Katy, and Plano. view article

Conroe Independent School District is moving ahead with implementing a new state law requiring Ten Commandments displays in K-12 public classrooms, despite opposition from some parents and the absence of penalties for non-compliance. The law, known as SB10, mandates that all K-12 public classrooms display a 16-by-20 copy of the King James Bible version of the Ten Commandments. view article

A lawsuit trying to stop Austin's tax rate election heads to Texas Supreme Court    After Texas' Third Court of Appeals dismissed a lawsuit against the city of Austin challenging the ballot language for its upcoming tax rate election, the lawsuit is headed to the Texas Supreme Court.  Former Austin mayoral candidate Jeff Bowen filed the lawsuit last month alleging the language intentionally misleads voters about the “permanence of the tax increase and does not describe specifically how the city council will use the more than $110 million in additional funds from the tax increase, if approved by voters.” view article

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.

As the college and professional football seasons come to an end, many fans- myself included- are reminded of this truth: not every hire can be a touchdown. A seemingly great candidate joins your team and suddenly they’re not hitting the mark. It could be due to disciplinary issues, ineffective work, or a number of other problems. Many administrators have dealt with difficult employees and have at times been required to make the decision to terminate their employment. When those employees happen to be at-will or probationary employees, some assume they can safely terminate their employment without developing the usual documentation. This, in fact, may not be a safe assumption.

When a school district analyzes locations for construction of potential facilities, water supply is often a key component of that evaluation. At times a location does offer easy access to an established and affordable municipal water supplier to whom a district can simply “hook up.” With an existing system, a school district will hope to pay a reasonable rate for water of a quality and quantity sufficient to meet its needs. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. A school district may need to examine obtaining an alternative water supply in order to meet the demand for its project or explore options to supplement its primary supply due to water quality, quantity, or cost concerns.

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

When Gene and Shirene McIntyre met with an attendance officer in the El Paso Independent School District in November 2006, their nine grandchildren had already been homeschooled for more than a year. But they were concerned the kids weren’t getting a proper education. view article