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EDUCATION
Criminal charges proposed
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BORDER CRIME
Auto-theft ring dismantled
Lawmakers look to punish principals, superintendents for failure to report By Judith Rayo LA R ED O MORNI NG T IME S
A bill recently passed by the Texas Senate proposes that school principals and superintendents face criminal charges if they intentionally fail to report improper relationships between teachers and students. Sen. Paul Bettencourt, RHouston, introduced the bill after the number of educators investigated for having an inappropriate relationship with a student has been increasing since 2009. The Texas Education Agency reported 222 cases during the 2015-16 fiscal year. “Teachers who currently face accusations of sexual misconduct or other serious allegations remain in the profession because school districts allow them to resign instead of firing them to avoid potential legal battles,” states the bill analysis. Senate Bill 7 states failing to report teacher misconduct will result in a Class A misdemeanor. Intentionally failing to conceal the incident would be a state jail felony. Currently, only superintendents are required to report the incidents. The bill expands the responsibility to principals. The bill analysis further states school districts at times get rid of problematic teachers by agreeing to pay them through the end of the school year and remove incriminating documentation from their personnel files by placing it in a separate confidential file. To prevent “passing the trash,” the bill states an educator certificate may be revoked if an administrator assists a person in obtaining employment at a school and they knew or should have known that person had engaged in sexual misconduct. Senate Bill 7 would also require school districts to adopt policies concerning electronic communication between school employees and students. School officials will be required to develop policies to prevent improper electronic communication between both parties. The commissioner of education may also authorize a special accreditation investigation when a school district fails to produce requested evidence on an educator who is under investigation. According to an Austin Bill continues on A12
Courtesy photo
Laredo police say a stolen Toyota Tundra was used in the assassination of the Tamaulipas state’s top prosecutor in January in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. The crime scene is pictured.
Vehicles used for smuggling, assassinations By César G. Rodriguez LAREDO MORNING TIME S
Gun and human smuggling and assassinations are among the crimes committed in Mexico using vehicles reported stolen in the Laredo, Austin, San Antonio and Houston areas, according to Laredo police. One recent case stood out for Laredo Police Department’s auto-theft task force. Authorities said they received information Jan. 4 that a Toyota Tundra was used in the fatal ambush of the top state prosecutor in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. Tamaulipas authorities said assailants gunned down Ricardo Martinez Chavez and three other public servants after they left a work-related meeting. The Tundra had been reported stolen in Laredo on Dec. 11, 2016. LPD said Monday it has arrested 16 people who took part in an auto-theft ring that operated in various parts of Texas. Suspects would take the vehicles to a criminal organization in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. Seven more people are wanted in connection with the case. LPD said the enforcement efVehicles continues on A12
TEXAS LEGISLATURE
Bill targets predatory wraparound mortgage scams SPECIAL TO THE TIME S
Home mortgage scams in El Paso and Austin have prompted state Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, and two other senators to propose legislation to curb the abuse and protect homeowners. Zaffirini, Kirk Watson (D-Austin), and José
Rodríguez (D-El Paso) filed several bills to address “wrapZaffirini around” home mortgage scams, which leave homeowners at the mercy of a middleman who may or may not
keep up with the mortgage payments. In one particularly egregious case in El Paso, a wrap scammer absconded with nearly $2 million from 200 families before the Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending was able to intervene. “Unfortunately, El Paso has become a
prime area for predatory wrap scammers, in particular those that target our military families who might need to sell their homes quickly, our unbanked immigrant population, and inexperienced first-time homebuyers who may struggle to obtain credit through a traditional bank,” Rodríguez said.
“All of these people are simply striving for the American dream of home ownership, and providing a better life for their families.” A wrap loan involves the sale of a house with a preexisting lien. The second loan “wraps” around the first, and the new owner typically Scams continues on A12