As in prior years, the news media
has continued to report on allegations, arrests and convictions of teachers
having improper relationships with students. Moreover, the news media has
further reported on the failure of public schools to disclose this reason as
the basis for a former teacher’s resignation or termination to another public
school looking to hire the same teacher. In July 2016, State Representative
Jason Isaac of Dripping Springs requested that Governor Abbott designate the
practice of “passing the trash” an emergency for the 85thLegislative Session. Read the press release.
In its Legislative Appropriations
Request for Fiscal Years 2018 and 2019, TEA requested an additional $400,000 to
employ more investigative staff to address the increase in reports of improper
relationships between educators and students. Additionally, State
Representatives and State Senators have filed four bills (HB49, HB218, HB333, SB7) captioned:
• “Relating to improper
relationships between educators and students; creating a criminal offense and
expanding the applicability of an existing offense", and
• "Relating to the prosecution
of the offense of improper relationship between educator and student.”
Of particular interest to school
boards and superintendents are recent news stories in which state lawmakers
have been quoted as saying that they are interested in adopting statutory
criminal penalties to address a superintendent’s, and possibly a principal’s,
failure to report instances when an educator has had an improper relationship
with a student.
As the ongoing reports of improper
teacher and student relationships continue to land on the front page and on the
five o’clock news, legislators may find themselves increasingly compelled to
act where they perceive that public schools have failed to do so, regardless of
what the law does or does not require.
Given the media, agency and
legislative interest concerning how public schools address, and particularly
disclose, improper relationships between educators and students, public schools
should likely revisit their existing policies, procedures and practices to
ensure that they do not become the poster child of the proposed laws during the
upcoming legislative session.
Session opened Tuesday Jan 10th. For more info on legislation, committees, house, and senate visit Texas Legislature Online.
