Texas School Policing Under Scrutiny for Heavy-Handed Tactics

An NYT/Express-News investigation shows Texas’ expansive program of placing police in public schools has produced thousands of use-of-force incidents—pepper spray, Tasers, takedowns and even handcuffing young students—for relatively minor misbehavior. Records cite more than 2,600 incidents from 2022–2025, with about 450 described in detail, across districts large and small; some cases involve elementary students and a 6-year-old. Oversight is fragmented, with no state-level review, while schools emphasize safety from shootings, fueling debate over discipline, trauma, and accountability.