Crackdown on improper teacher-student relations sent to Abbott

Alarmed by a sharp increase in reports of teacher misconduct, Texas lawmakers have sent legislation to Gov. Greg Abbott that would crack down on inappropriate relationships between educators and students.

Senate Bill 7 received final approval Monday after the Texas Senate agreed to changes made by the House. The measure received unanimous approval in both houses.

“This is one of my highest priorities to pass this session,” Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said after the vote. “This has to stop.”

The number of reported cases of improper relationships between teachers and students grew 80 percent in the past eight years. After opening 222 new cases last year, the Texas Education Agency opened another 159 cases between Sept. 1 and April 1, up about 40 percent from the same period last year.

Much of SB 7 focused on holding teachers accountable for their actions, said the bill’s author, Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston.

“This behavior of teachers preying on students for sexual relationships will not be tolerated,” Bettencourt said in a statement. “SB 7 gives the TEA more tools to pursue and investigate these cases in order to protect the integrity of the teaching profession and, more importantly, protect the students in all of the schools in Texas.”

In addition to allowing jail time for superintendents and principals who intentionally fail to report teacher misconduct, under SB 7:

■ A teacher could be charged with improper relationship with a student regardless of where the student attends school, even if it’s in a different district.

■ Teaching licenses would be automatically revoked for those who must register as a sex offender and those who receive deferred adjudication of guilt for misconduct as a teacher.

■ Principals, not just superintendents, would have to report teacher misconduct to the Texas Education Agency.

The House added a halfdozen amendments to SB 7 last week, including one requiring job applicants to sign a pre-employment affidavit disclosing whether they had been charged with or convicted of having an improper relationship with a child.

Another amendment required schools to notify parents “as soon as feasible” when their children are named as victims of a sexual relationship with a teacher — including whether the teacher was fired after an investigation or resigned before an investigation could be completed.

The House also banned pensions for educators convicted of misconduct with children.

“SB 7 recognizes the scourge of inappropriate teacher-student relationships and is a very big step forward to stamping them out,” Bettencourt said.