Texas School Resource Officers Pepper Spray, Tase Students During HS Protest, Prompting Police Brutality Outcry
;)
Education news and commentary, delivered right to your inbox.
Sign up for 蜜桃影视 newsletter.
Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for 蜜桃影视 Newsletter
A school district in suburban Dallas will investigate a sexual harassment allegation and police officers鈥� use of force after a student protest turned chaotic Friday, resulting in the arrest of four students and accusations of police brutality.
Viral videos of the incident show disturbing interactions between police and students, one of whom appeared to be a Black male teen who was and as he lay unresponsive on the ground. Some students as the pepper spray filled a school hallway. Another video appeared to show an officer pulling a girl across the hallway by her hair.
The incident at Little Elm High School unfolded during a Friday morning protest after a student claimed on Snapchat that she was sexually harassed by another student on a bus and disciplined for coming forward. On social media, teens at the 8,300-student district accused administrators of mishandling sexual misconduct complaints. A city spokesperson that police mobilized after students acted 鈥渁ggressively鈥� toward an administrator.
School resource officers and how they interact with students, particularly students of color, have been under fierce scrutiny since George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020. Amid national Black Lives Matter protests, dozens of districts ended longstanding ties with school-based officers, although several districts have recently reversed course, citing student safety concerns.
Andrew Hairston, director of the Education Justice Project at Texas Appleseed, an advocacy group, called the viral videos 鈥渟uch a harrowing thing to witness,鈥� and accused police of preventing students from checking to see if their classmate was OK as he laid on the floor after getting tasered.
鈥淭he police officers are the violence,鈥� Hairston said. 鈥淭hey are the threat in that video.鈥�
Two students were arrested for assaulting police officers, Little Elm Mayor Curtis Cornelious .
鈥淲hen a third student attempted to interfere with the arrest, the officer was forced to use pepper spray, and then a taser when the student would not stop advancing toward the officer,鈥� he said. 鈥淎 fourth student spit on an officer, which Texas law deems as an assault.鈥�
In an initial statement on Facebook that was deleted but later reposted, the school district said a student demonstration caused 鈥渟ome students to behave in a way that caused a major disruption.鈥�
鈥淭he demonstration was a result of a social media post the day before that contained inaccurate information regarding an incident that happened a month ago,鈥� the district said in the statement.
Superintendent Daniel Gallagher said Monday the events leading to Friday鈥檚 student demonstration 鈥渉its us at the core of who we are and we have to find a way to restore the trust you need in order for all of us to move forward.鈥� In a statement, Gallagher said the district 鈥渋mmediately launched an investigation鈥� after a student made an allegation against a classmate.
Though no students faced discipline for reporting sexual misconduct, misinformation that claimed otherwise proliferated on social media, he said.
School and police officials were prepared 鈥渢o accommodate a peaceful walkout,鈥� but the protest 鈥渨as not peaceful and caused a major disruption,鈥� Gallagher said. 鈥淚n one incident 鈥� not currently being shown on social media 鈥� a large group of students attempted to break into an administrator鈥檚 office in pursuit of targeted individuals who were in genuine fear for their safety.鈥�
Gallagher said school officials will hold a 鈥渓istening session鈥� on Nov. 30 to allow parents 鈥渁n opportunity to voice their concerns, thoughts and provide suggestions to the district administration.鈥� He also announced plans to create a committee to review the district鈥檚 sexual harassment reporting and investigation process, an 鈥渁fter-action review鈥� of Friday鈥檚 clash between students and police and 鈥渁n independent investigation鈥� into the sexual harassment allegation that led to the student protest.
Cornelious said the city will review the incident to ensure the officers followed proper police department procedures, but maintained that social media videos often lack necessary content to understand the full situation.
鈥淲henever an officer arrests someone who鈥檚 acting aggressively or resisting, it鈥檚 hard to watch,鈥� Cornelious said. 鈥淏ut Texas law gives police the right to take steps necessary to make an arrest. Those steps include the use of tasers and pepper spray as safe, non-lethal methods of subduing someone who is being aggressive and refusing to respond to requests.鈥�
Meanwhile, Hairston said the incident should reenergize national efforts to remove police from schools and encouraged Little Elm administrators to display 鈥減olitical courage.鈥�
鈥淒ozens of districts have taken significant steps toward police divestment but so much more work needs to be done to get police out of schools,鈥� he said. 鈥淢ore and more people are understanding that it鈥檚 an irredeemable institution. School policing can鈥檛 be reformed.鈥�
Did you use this article in your work?
We鈥檇 love to hear how 蜜桃影视鈥檚 reporting is helping educators, researchers, and policymakers.
