Texas Governor Pushes 10-Year Minimum Prison Term for Educators Who Abuse Student
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wants to impose stiffer penalties for teachers who are convicted of child sexual abuse or grooming students, including a minimum 10-year prison term with no parole.
Abbott made the announcement Tuesday at a Lubbock roundtable with law enforcement officials and school superintendents, which he said is a time to take more action to keep children safe and to ensure educators who take advantage of their positions of trust are not allowed to return to schools.
The proposal also extends the requirement for sex offenders to register to educators who are convicted of offences relating to child sexual abuse and/or grooming.
Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows has said it will be a priority when the state lawmakers meet next year.
The proposal follows a surge in reports of alleged inappropriate behavior between teachers and students. Texas schools reported over 1,700 allegations of sexual or romantic relationships and communications between teachers and students in 2026, which is three times the number of allegations reported in 2025.
After initial review, nearly 400 investigations were closed, but it is not known how many of those investigations led to criminal convictions.
The number of cases reported showed that current procedures were not effective in safeguarding children from abuse in schools, Abbott said.
Abbott said the message has not gotten through to stop assaulting students in our schools, as there have been literally thousands of violations in just the last two years.
The state of Texas already has sanctions for teachers who are convicted of sexual misconduct with students. A 2017 law calls for the revocation of teaching licenses and loss of taxpayer-funded pensions for convicted teachers.
School superintendents and principals who knowingly fail to report misconduct may also be subject to penalties, up to $10,000 or imprisonment.
Abbott’s plan, if it is approved, would greatly raise the stakes for teachers who are convicted of crimes involving children.
The proposed legislation emphasises the need for effective safeguarding systems in schools from a child protection perspective. Effective investigations and clear accountability, along with early reporting, are vital to preventing adults in positions of trust from grooming and sexually abusing children.
The proposal will be considered by Texas lawmakers when they return for the next legislative session.
