LUBBOCK – Governor Greg Abbott today unveiled a new proposal to protect students during a roundtable with law enforcement and superintendents in Lubbock. As part of the proposal, the Governor announced tougher penalties for educators and school employees convicted of improper relationship between educator and student.
“This new law builds on previous and vital actions that crack down on inappropriate teacher-student relationships,” said Governor Abbott. “We must protect our students and lock up predators. Together, we will keep Texas classrooms a safe space for children to learn, grow, and succeed.”
“Every child in Texas deserves to walk into school ready to learn and grow, not afraid that someone could prey upon them,” said Speaker Dustin Burrows. “To the survivors: we hear you, we see you, and what happened to you should never have happened. We must do better. The Texas House looks forward to partnering with Governor Abbott next session to turn these initiatives into action and make sure no other child suffers what you have suffered.”
“I’ve learned that healing doesn’t mean pretending the pain never happened, it means deciding what you’re going to do with it,” said Kyreeá Flores. “What happened to me should have never happened, but if my story can help another child be seen sooner or help recognize the warning signs then I’m going to use my voice to do that.”
Under Governor Abbott’s proposal, individuals convicted of an improper relationship between an educator and student would be required to register as a sex offender and serve a minimum of ten years in prison. These offenders would not be eligible for community supervision, deferred adjudication, parole, or mandatory supervision. By imposing serious consequences on predators who exploit positions of trust, Texas will better protect students and keep dangerous offenders out of our schools.
Read here to learn more about Governor Abbott’s new Education proposals.
Additional photos from the event will be provided here when available.