Texas could significantly increase the punishment for educators and other school employees convicted of improper relationships with students under a proposal unveiled Tuesday by Gov. Greg Abbott.
Announced during a roundtable with law enforcement and school superintendents in Lubbock, the proposal calls for a minimum 10-year prison sentence and mandatory sex offender registration for those convicted. Those convicted would also be required to register as sex offenders and would not be eligible for community supervision, deferred adjudication, parole or mandatory supervision.
“We must protect our students and lock up predators,” Abbott said. “Together, we will keep Texas classrooms a safe space for children to learn, grow, and succeed.”
Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows expressed support for the proposed changes and indicated lawmakers could take them up during the next legislative session.
“To the survivors: we hear you, we see you, and what happened to you should never have happened,” Burrows said. “We must do better.”
Abbott said the proposed changes would build on previous efforts aimed at addressing inappropriate relationships between educators and students.
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