LUBBOCK, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott proposed Tuesday requiring at least 10 years in prison and mandatory sex offender registration for Texas educators and other school employees convicted of improper relationships with students.
Abbott announced the proposal during a roundtable with law enforcement officials and school superintendents in Lubbock as he called for tougher penalties for school employees convicted of offenses involving students.
Under the proposal, convicted offenders would have to register as sex offenders and would not qualify 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 said lawmakers could consider them 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 proposal would build on previous state efforts to address inappropriate relationships between educators and students.
The proposal would require legislative action before the changes could take effect.