Texas law makes it easier to remove students from class. Experts question the impact

A Texas law that took effect last year gives teachers more authority to remove disruptive students from their classrooms.

That may help teachers control their classrooms. But some lawyers and professors are concerned about whether enough attention is being paid to helping resolve the underlying causes of those students’ behavior.

“We’re starting to skip the helping the kids part,” said Johnny Nhan, a criminology professor at Texas Christian University. “We’re just going straight to the punishment part.”

Nhan joined education attorney Elvin Houston and Texas A&M University School of Law professor Jenny Carroll on Oct. 28 for a panel discussion hosted by Texas A&M University School of Law on the effects of school discipline on Tarrant County students.

The conversation centered around House Bill 6, a law that expanded teachers’ authority to remove students from classrooms starting last school year.

A teacher may dismiss a student after one instance of disruptive behavior, without demonstrating whether the student has engaged in misbehavior previously. The law also removed the cap on the number of days a student could serve an in-school suspension, although placements must be reviewed every 10 school days.

Houston, who represents school districts as an attorney, said that while the new law expanded the circumstances under which students can face discipline, it did little to change the range of options schools have for disciplining students.

Consequences typically involve removing students from their regular classrooms, though research has questioned how effective that approach is, he said.

Meanwhile, despite the increased ability to eject students, teachers are finding it difficult to manage student behavior with limited support, Houston said.

Nhan said his wife, a longtime Fort Worth ISD school psychologist, and her colleagues have described the challenges educators face as counselors contend with staffing shortages.

Some teachers will ignore suggested interventions, attempting to have students removed from their classrooms instead, he said.

The panelists also expressed concern over how school discipline affects students’ lives outside the school setting.

In 2024, Tarrant County recorded 3,433 formal juvenile referrals — official complaints alleging that a minor has committed an offense or violated a court order. That’s an increase of 1,056 complaints from the 2,377 recorded in 2020, according to county data. Those figures include referrals unrelated to schools.

The new law may result in students increasingly coming into contact with law enforcement, Houston said, as certain expulsions require that incidents be reported to law enforcement. 

Panelists also discussed challenges facing students with disabilities. Federal special education laws providing protections for students with disabilities remain intact, regardless of changes to state law, Houston said.

Michelle Tatro, a former Plano ISD assistant principal, said she was hit, kicked, punched and bitten while working in schools. She asked for the most effective way to help educators feel safer at work. 

“Money,” Houston said. “It’s a resource problem.”

Increased funding could help schools improve how they train and recruit teachers and provide mental health services, he said.

Lawmakers should also consider children’s developmental needs when writing discipline policies instead of focusing on the most extreme incidents, Carroll said.

Ultimately, schools require additional resources in order to deal with students’ behavior, Houston said.

“Until there is some emphasis at the legislative level to fund those priorities, we’ll continue to have these issues, I fear,” he said. 

Matthew Sgroi is an education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at [email protected] or @matthewsgroi1.

News decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.