A Tolleson student has filed a civil lawsuit claiming a school resource officer punched and kneed him during a September 2024 arrest on campus. The complaint says the then-16-year-old suffered wrist and facial injuries and was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress.
The suit, filed June 19 in Maricopa County Superior Court, names the City of Tolleson, the Tolleson Police Department, Tolleson Union High School District, Tolleson High School and several officers, according to Phoenix New Times. Romero's attorney, Caitlin Engstrand, said the case is about accountability, writing that "Our client is a young man who had the courage to stand up for himself," and the complaint seeks damages for medical costs, lost income and emotional harm.
The Tolleson Police Department has publicly backed its officers. In a February 13, 2025 press release, the department said its internal review found no sustained use-of-force violations and criticized the school district's investigation as retaliatory. The release also referenced a separate February incident at the school and urged that Hendrix be treated fairly; the document is on file with local news outlets. Tolleson Police press release.
Investigations Reached Conflicting Conclusions
A third-party investigation commissioned by the district concluded Hendrix’s actions were "unwarranted and excessive," while the department's use-of-force review found that pushing and some hand and knee strikes before Romero was restrained were within policy but that pushing the student's face and knee strikes after he was handcuffed were outside policy, as reported by Phoenix New Times. According to that report, Tolleson Police Chief Rudy Mendoza urged coaching on force techniques and emphasized the need to activate body-worn cameras.
District Response And SRO Changes
The incident strained relations between the district and the city, prompting Tolleson Union High School District to stop using Tolleson officers as school resource officers and instead staff campuses with officers from other jurisdictions. The district later voted to release the third-party investigative report to the public and cited student safety in its decision, per KJZZ. Superintendent Jeremy Calles has said he asked the city to remove the officer after viewing video of the September incident.
Legal Angle And What Comes Next
The complaint brings federal and state claims, including alleged Fourth Amendment excessive-force violations, and asks for compensation tied to Romero’s physical and psychological injuries. Romero was criminally charged after the campus encounter and later pleaded to resisting arrest, per reporting on the case, and the civil suit is now in Maricopa County Superior Court. The Maricopa County Superior Court Civil Division handles these filings and the early phases of discovery.
With the suit filed, discovery and the district’s publication of its independent report could add new material for families and officials to review. Tolleson Police has continued to defend Hendrix, while the district says it has taken steps to limit Tolleson officers' presence on campus as it seeks greater transparency around safety practices.
