Amid the commotion of back-to-school preparations, a recent decision by Travis County District Court Judge Aurora Martinez-Jones has sparked controversy and concerns for the safety of schoolchildren in Austin. The judge, against whom Attorney General Ken Paxton has expressed deep condemnation, stood by her refusal to grant an emergency hearing to consider the closure of the Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center, situated perilously close to an elementary school. In what Paxton described as a threat to student safety, a violent incident at the center – a stabbing – underscored the volatile situation just as the school year was about to commence.
"It’s disgusting that this leftist judge would jeopardize the safety of these elementary students by allowing a hotspot for drugged-out, violent vagrants to continue operating as the school year starts," Attorney General Ken Paxton declared, suggesting that the proximity to Joslin Elementary School posed an unacceptable risk. His comments came following an unfortunate incident where, hours after Judge Martinez-Jones's denial, a child was inadvertently pricked by a hypodermic needle found on the playground, potentially exposing them to serious health risks. Despite these events, the court hasn't yet responded to Paxton's renewed request for an emergency temporary restraining order (TRO).
In November 2024, Attorney General Paxton initiated litigation against Sunrise for purported violations of Texas law, citing severe disruptions to the quality of life for nearby residents and businesses, as well as endangering local schoolchildren. The shelter, which counts the City of Austin among its financial supporters, lays just a stone's throw from school grounds where students are allegedly exposed to lewd and hazardous behaviors among the homeless population frequenting the facility.
Such conditions have repeatedly compelled Joslin Elementary to impose "lockdown" protocols in response to the behavior of these individuals. Paxton's attempts to secure a temporary injunction hearing, aimed at safeguarding the school and surrounding neighborhood, have been thwarted by delays attributed to what he called "Sunrise's gamesmanship," indifferent local judges, and an inefficient centralized docketing system, as mentioned on the Texas Attorney General's Office.
