Following weeks of student protests across the state against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced this week that he is launching formal investigations into three major school districts. The new inquiries add to an existing investigation into the Austin Independent School District (Austin ISD), where Paxton demanded information earlier this month alleging that district officials “knowingly allowed students to leave campus during the school day” to participate in the demonstrations.
On , students from approximately ten campuses within Austin ISD left their classrooms and marched towards the state Capitol, expressing their disagreement with recent events in Minnesota. These events included a large-scale immigration operation and the deaths of two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, at the hands of immigration agents. Similar walkouts occurred in the weeks that followed in San Antonio, Dallas, Waco, El Paso, Houston, and Fort Worth. Hundreds of students took to the streets calling for the dismantling of ICE
.
“It was about time students like these were arrested. Schools and staff who allow this behavior should be treated as accomplices,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott wrote on X on . He also threatened to withdraw state funding from districts that permitted the walkouts. The Texas Education Agency stated that students leaving campus would be considered absent, teachers facilitating demonstrations could lose their teaching licenses, and districts could face direct state intervention. On the same day, the Attorney General’s office opened an investigation into Austin ISD.
Two weeks later, Paxton announced new investigations into three of the state’s largest districts: North East Independent School District in San Antonio, Dallas ISD, and Manor ISD near Austin. According to Paxton, in these districts administration and staff helped organize the protests
and officials failed to ensure student safety and minimize classroom disruptions
. He has demanded that they turn over documents relating to campus departure policies, excused absences, security protocols, internal communications regarding the protests, and the use of public funds.
I will not allow Texas schools to become breeding grounds for the radical Left’s open borders agenda,
Paxton declared. Let this serve as a warning to any public school official or employee who unlawfully facilitates student participation in protests targeting our heroic law enforcement officers: my office will use every legal tool available to hold you accountable.
A spokesperson for the North East Independent School District in San Antonio confirmed to KSAT that Paxton’s investigation specifically focuses on Churchill High School. We are fully cooperating and gathering documentation to provide to the Attorney General’s Office,
the spokesperson stated. The district also reminded staff that they should not encourage, endorse, discourage, or attempt to persuade students about participating in a walkout or protest.
Manor ISD released a statement indicating that it is confident that the review will show that staff followed procedures, including ensuring that attendance guidelines were followed and maintaining student safety as the top priority.
Austin ISD Superintendent Matias Segura denied that his district supported the protests. Except for physically restraining students, we cannot prevent them from leaving,
he asserted. The district’s legal counsel also sent a letter to the Attorney General’s office rejecting the accusations and pointing out that Texas law does not contemplate the use of any degree of force to compel school attendance.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas reaffirmed its support for the student protesters in a statement. Government officials cannot punish students simply because they dislike their message,
explained Legal Director Adriana Piñón. Students retain their rights to free speech when they enter their schools, and any threat of severe retaliation for peaceful speech is unconstitutional.
Brian Klosterboer, a senior attorney with the organization, noted that Attorney General Paxton has long used his office to attack viewpoints he dislikes.
Regarding the investigations into the school districts, he said that no law is identified as being violated and no one’s constitutional rights are being curtailed.
Authorities should listen to students respectfully engaging in democracy, rather than wasting resources suppressing their expression.
Klosterboer also highlighted the historical tradition of these types of protests in the United States. Boycotts and walkouts are peaceful and age-old forms of civic participation, recognized by the Supreme Court. Students and educators do not relinquish their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate,
he asserted.
