The $30 million toe in the water

With nearly 400 school district police departments across the state, Texas has seen a significant increase in the presence of police officers in schools. However, this increased presence has led to a culture of fear and aggression in many Texas schools, with students facing heavy-handed police tactics and long-term trauma.

According to our investigation, officers in Texas have displayed startling belligerence, grabbing or tackling students as young as 6 years old for minor infractions.. Children have been handcuffed, arrested, and even jailed for behavior that would have once been dealt with by school administrators.

In some cases, students have been left with serious injuries, including bruises and concussions, after being body-slammed or shocked by Tasers. Despite the lack of comprehensive data on use-of-force incidents, our reporters identified over 2,600 such incidents across more than 200 school districts.

An echo of Sydney's 2024 institutional buy-up

The Texas school policing initiative, which aimed to protect students from tragedies like the Uvalde massacre, has instead created a situation where students are subjected to police brutality and mistreatment. Many incidents began over misbehavior such as dress-code violations, vaping, or schoolyard scraps .

Officers, often summoned by principals or teachers, escalated some situations by shouting obscenities or insults. They used physical takedown tactics in about 60 situations when students ignored their commands, talked back, or pulled away.

In the Judson school district, which includes parts of San Antonio, an officer slammed a 15-year-old boy onto a table after he threw a cheese stick at another student, according to witnesses cited in public records .

Who is the unnamed buyer?

Our investigation found that the increased presence of police officers has led to a culture of fear and aggression in many Texas schools. The use of heavy-handed police tactics on students has resulted in serious injuries and long-term trauma for many children.

Despite the lack of comprehensive data on use-of-force incidents , our reporters identified over 2,600 such incidents across more than 200 school districts. Many incidents began over misbehavior such as dress-code violations, vaping, or schoolyard scraps.

Officers, often summoned by principals or teachers, escalated some situations by shouting obscenities or insults. They used physical takedown tactics in about 60 situations when students ignored their commands, talked back,or pulled away.

What auditors flagged in the May filing

Our investigation found that the increased presence of police officers has led to a culture of fear and aggression in many Texas schools. The use of heavy-handed police tactics on students has resulted in serious injuries and long-term trauma for many children.

Despite the lack of comprehensive data on use-of-force incidents, our reporters identified over 2,600 such incidents across more than 200 school districts. Many incidents began over misbehavior such as dress-code violations, vaping, or schoolyard scraps.

Officers, often summoned by principals or teachers, escalated some situations by shouting obscenities or insults. They used physical takedown tactics in about 60 situations when students ignored their commands, talked back, or pulled away.