False allegations of improper relationships between teachers and students may be somewhat rare—but they do happen. These falsehoods can spring from any number of various misinterpretations of events, or from (in an even rarer event) maliciousness—an attempt to turn the tables on the inherent power hierarchy between teacher and student. But whatever the reason such an allegation has come up, parents are naturally likely to side with their children. (Really, what sort of people would they be if they didn’t?)
All of this makes for a stressful and unfair occurrence to the falsely-accused teacher, and one that can have ramifications on the teacher’s life for years to come—sometimes even for the rest of the teacher’s life. A complaint of this sort has a tendency to make its way through the rumor mill like fire through a dead woodlot, and embers can linger in the aftermath. It is therefore imperative that one does everything one can to confront such livelihood-threatening allegations before the Texas Education Agency in order to deal with them as decisively as possible.
The sad fact is that, even when the allegations do not get pursued via criminal charges, the Agency is willing to strip a license with relatively little compunction. The Agency exists for the protection of the public, after all, and not for the benefit of teachers—which means it tends to favor the investigation of such complaints over their dismissal, and the veracity of allegations over their potential falsehood.
Once the Agency receives a complaint of educator misbehavior, it reviews the complaint to determine whether the alleged behavior falls under its jurisdiction to investigate, or if it contains enough information to decide whether what is alleged would violate school law, if true. A complaint of improper teaching relationship is likely to meet these criteria. More’s the trouble for the falsely accused teacher.
It is therefore absolutely imperative that a teacher falsely accused of an improper relationship with a student contact a skilled license defense attorney like BERTOLINO LLP immediately, so we can craft a strategic plan to combat these ludicrous allegations and maintain your license to practice your chosen livelihood.
Our law firm helps professionals, like you, keep their licenses when those licenses are under attack by the TEA.
With offices in Austin, Houston, and San Antonio, we serve clients all over the state. As experienced attorneys, well-versed in state and federal laws, we know how to win. Our results speak for themselves!
If you are facing disciplinary action from the TEA, contact us today or call (512) 476-5757 and schedule a case evaluation.
Call or text (512) 476-5757 or complete a Case Evaluation form
