A sweeping new investigation released Tuesday lays out hundreds of cases in which Texas school police pepper-sprayed, tackled, and tasered students across the state, sometimes leaving children hurt. Built from incident records and video, the reporting puts fresh heat on how officers are trained and supervised on Texas campuses.
Reporters at The New York Times identified more than 2,600 use-of-force incidents from January 2022 through December 2025 and closely reviewed about 450 detailed reports. Nearly a quarter of those detailed encounters resulted in injuries, officers used tasers in at least nine cases and deployed pepper spray in dozens more, and statewide annual spending on school security climbed to more than $1.3 billion in 2024.
The law that put officers in schools
After the Uvalde school massacre, the Texas Legislature responded with House Bill 3 in 2023. The law requires at least one armed security officer on every public-school campus and sets up new funding and oversight for school safety. As reported by The Texas Tribune, many districts have struggled to recruit and pay for all the officers the law envisions. The bill text spells out the requirement and the narrow “good cause” exceptions districts can claim if they cannot immediately staff each campus (House Bill 3).
Examples the reporters documented
The investigation highlights dozens of encounters that range from aggressive takedowns to chemical sprays and restraints. The New York Times describes a Cypress-Fairbanks officer who hogtied a 10-year-old with a cord, a technique the district later banned. Reporters also found cases in which very young children were handcuffed, and a 2024 internal report alleging that an officer, Linda Holland, pepper-sprayed a girl and kneed her in the face.
The reporting notes that the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement told journalists it typically cannot open investigations into excessive-force complaints unless an officer faces criminal charges. Advocates say that limitation leaves most incidents to be handled through internal reviews by school districts.
Why advocates are alarmed
Advocates argue the new reporting fits into a longer-running pattern of over-policing in schools and harsh discipline that falls heaviest on Black students and students with disabilities. Groups such as Texas Appleseed have documented how use-of-force incidents and arrests can push children into the juvenile system. They have called for clearer limits on what officers can do, better child-focused training, and public reporting of school police interactions.
Legal and accountability questions
Court decisions and licensing rules add another layer of difficulty for parents seeking accountability. In 2023 a federal appeals panel upheld a ruling for an officer who tasered a 17-year-old with intellectual disabilities in the case W. v. Paley, according to Justia. The decision underscored how hard it can be to win certain civil claims over school police conduct. Advocates say that, combined with limits on when the state licensing commission will open investigations, many families are left relying on internal district reviews and local prosecutors to press for consequences.
State and local officials now face competing pressures. Districts are required to meet the armed-officer mandate from House Bill 3 while also responding to calls to limit force and strengthen training for working with children. Lawmakers and education leaders continue to debate additional funding and oversight, but the latest reporting makes one thing clear: the policy fight has shifted from whether campuses have armed coverage to what those officers are trained and allowed to do around kids.
