New Texas law aims to crack down on teacher misconduct with students

[TexasTowelie]

Superintendents and principals who intentionally hide improper relationships between students and teachers will now face jail time.

Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday signed into law Senate Bill 7, one of the priority bills this legislative session that’s aimed at cracking down on the rising number of cases of improper relationships between students and teachers.

“Unfortunately, a small number of teachers are tarnishing the image of some of our best and brightest teachers. Texas racked up a dubious ranking, a ranking that has an incredibly high number of inappropriate teacher-student relationships,” Abbott said during a news conference before signing the bill. “Unbelievably, some of these teachers … have faced no real consequences.”

Under the bill originally filed by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, superintendents and principals who intentionally fail to report teacher misconduct will be charged with a state jail felony. If the superintendent or principal fails to report such misconduct unintentionally, he or she would have to pay a $500 fine under the bill.

Read more: http://www.mystatesman.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/new-texas-law-aims-crack-down-teacher-misconduct-with-students/3eRFGEGuhttK6086miw7LL/

[TexasProgresive]

1. Rather than writing a new law-how about enforcing the one on the books

Sec. 261.109. FAILURE TO REPORT; PENALTY. (a) A person commits an offense if the person is required to make a report under Section 261.101(a) and knowingly fails to make a report as provided in this chapter.

(a-1) A person who is a professional as defined by Section 261.101(b) commits an offense if the person is required to make a report under Section 261.101(b) and knowingly fails to make a report as provided in this chapter.

(b) An offense under Subsection (a) is a Class A misdemeanor, except that the offense is a state jail felony if it is shown on the trial of the offense that the child was a person with an intellectual disability who resided in a state supported living center, the ICF-IID component of the Rio Grande State Center, or a facility licensed under Chapter 252, Health and Safety Code, and the actor knew that the child had suffered serious bodily injury as a result of the abuse or neglect.

(c) An offense under Subsection (a-1) is a Class A misdemeanor, except that the offense is a state jail felony if it is shown on the trial of the offense that the actor intended to conceal the abuse or neglect.
http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/FA/htm/FA.261.htm

[TexasTowelie]

2. For the legislators it is a case of CMA

and point to the bill as an example of "look what I did". The new law is redundant to the statute that you listed.

[TexasProgresive]

3. I'm a mandatory reporter

I take that seriously.