An exclusive Times/Express-News probe details multiple incidents where Texas school police used extreme force on children. In Corpus Christi, an officer hogtied a 10‑year‑old with a cord after the boy kicked the principal. A San Antonio cop handcuffed a 6‑year‑old who struck a staff member, and near Galveston an officer chased a 17‑year‑old vape user, pointed a gun and threatened to fire. Parents and teachers still cite officers as a safeguard against shootings.

Since the 2022 Uvalde massacre, the state has poured billions into placing officers on every campus, training roughly 11,000 deputies—more than the total force in many states. Districts contract municipal police, many with jail‑er backgrounds, to project authority. Yet reports show officers slam students into walls, arrest them for minor infractions, or deploy Tasers, with no mandatory reporting unless a shooting occurs. The spending aims to deter attacks, but the lack of oversight fuels lawsuits.

Criminology scholars warn that adolescent brains lack impulse control, making coercive tactics counterproductive. Footage from Mesquite shows an officer smashing a 14‑year‑old’s face into a wall for vaping, then yanking him up by shackled arms. The investigation suggests a legal exposure for districts as families confront a system designed for active‑shooter threats but delivering routine trauma to students. District attorneys are already fielding complaints, forcing boards to reconsider policies.