Texas Zero Tolerance

Immediate parental contact concerning any incident that could involve removal from school and/or criminal prosecution. Parents have the right to be present prior to the child speaking to administrators and/or police.

48-hour cooling off period before a criminal citation may be issued unless the incident constitutes an immediate and continuous threat to the safety of the school.

An appeals process that allows parents/guardians the right to appeal any suspension, removal to a disciplinary alternative education program, or expulsion regardless of whether mandatory or not, with the school board or governing authority of that public school the final arbiter.

Students will have the opportunity to turn in prohibited items without fear of immediate punishment. A parent/guardian conference will have to take place prior to punishment and/or criminal prosecution. The exception would be in the case of an immediate and continuing threat to the safety of the school environment.

Typical cases we have received…

Disruption of peace and Class “C” Misdemeanors that have carried fines from $50 to $500 plus six-month probations for uttering a curse word – not to be confused with a child verbally abusing another student or teacher.

Possession of pocketknives, box cutters, mini souvenir bats result in prosecutions and sentences to JJAEP boot camps

Terroristic threats issued for having “hate lists” such as a child writing that they don’t like Michael Jackson, as example.

Innocent childhood pranks such as “mooning” or “pantsing” ending with sexual harassment charges and extended punishment in alternative education programs.

Students defending against attacks by other students charged with aggravated assault and extended punishments in alternative education programs.

There are many more – many that are complex cases – but in all, we believe that absolute power in the hands of school district administrators have absolutely corrupted common sense.

Texas Zero Tolerance has been featured in a number of national media outlets in the past several months. As a result, we have a large amount of out-of-state traffic. We'd like to hear from you!

If you'd like to report an out-of-state case, please do so using our Report A Case form and tell us what state, city and school district you're from. If you'd just like to drop us a line and tell us what's on your mind, please email us at tztinfo@yahoo.com.

Thanks for all the support!

Why Texas Zero Tolerance is Needed

As parents of children in the Texas public school system, we are constantly reminded that we are partners in the education of our children.

Many parents in Texas do not realize that if their child is accused of a disciplinary infraction at their school, they can be brought into the school principal’s office, interrogated by school officials, interrogated by police, arrested and taken to jail before parents are notified. After all the dust has settled, you as a parent have few rights for an appeal. Once a citation is written, it cannot be taken back and your child will have to appear in court.

We ask that you take some time to explore our website - examine some of the examples of this abuse in our Reported Cases section and help us reform Chapter 37 (particularly § 37.001 - Student Code of Conduct) of the Texas Education Code to allow due process and common sense back into our schools. The text of House Bill 171 (previous reform initiative) can be found here.

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When My Child is Disciplined at School - a parental guide provided by Texas Appleseed

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Texas Zero Tolerance Press Release (08/19/2009) - Reaction to

HB 171 Passage

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The Texas Education Agency's Safe Schools Program recommends an alternative to zero tolerance - a MUST READ.

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Zeroing Out Zero Tolerance: Eliminating Zero Tolerance Policies in Texas Schools (Texas Tech Law Review) - thorough, careful and thoughtful research, the author makes the tremendous case against continuing zero tolerance disciplinary policies.

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Zero Tolerance - Zero Sense: Our Case for Reform

by Eddie Evans, Co-Director - Texas Zero Tolerance

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"We hold children to higher standards than we hold adults. We don't leave any room for children to make mistakes." ~ Billy Jacobs, former Senior Director of the Safe Schools Division of the Texas Education Agency

“There is no law authorizing an officer to interview a child on campus (except for investigations of child abuse or neglect). The school district can choose. It can permit interrogations, it can refuse to allow interrogations, or it can choose to allow interrogations only if the parent has first been contacted.” - TEA Staff Lawyer