Latest news with #SenateBill1224
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas senators consider $10,000 fine for superintendents who don't report suspected sexual misconduct
AUSTIN (KXAN) – At a Senate committee meeting on Tuesday, lawmakers showed bipartisan support for legislation that would increase penalties for school leaders who fail to report suspected sexual abuse and a bill sparked by a KXAN investigation, which would increase the Texas Education Agency's authority to investigate school contractors accused of unlawful acts. During the public hearing, where multiple witnesses detailed their personal experiences with sexual misconduct on a school campus, Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, said he planned to introduce a newer version of Senate Bill 571 – which is aimed at fixing issues with state databases that track misconduct. SB 571 was filed as a direct result of a KXAN investigation that found a former Texas Juvenile Justice Corrections Officer was able to get a job as an Austin ISD tutor despite TJJD's Office of Inspector General already determining he had an inappropriate relationship with a juvenile. Austin tutor's arrest reveals 'cracks' in how Texas vets school employees In an interview with KXAN in 2024, Sen. Bettencourt said the situation demonstrated a 'failure' and promised to address the problem in the 89th legislative session. 'I passed the first inappropriate school-teacher relationship bill back in 2017, and this next 60 pages is going to close every loophole that we can even think of or know of at the Texas Education Agency,' Bettencourt said during the public hearing on Tuesday. 'We are going to keep going at this until we stamp this out.' Sen. Kevin Sparks, R-Midland, also laid out Senate Bill 1224, which would require superintendents to report sexual misconduct, abuse, and other unlawful acts to county and municipal law enforcement instead of allowing internal school police departments to handle the investigation. Juvenile officer's do-not-hire status initially reversed amid sexual misconduct investigation Under the bill, a superintendent could face a state jail felony if the report is not made within 48 hours, and the State Board of Educator Certification could levy a $10,000 fine on the school leader for failure to report. Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, who said he was in favor of the bill, expressed concern that the requirements did not extend to private schools in the state. Sen. Sparks said his office would work with Sen. West's office to potentially amend the bill. 'There is always a reluctance to hold private schools to the same standards as it relates to public schools, but on this particular issue, all schools need to be held to the same standard,' West said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Yahoo
Netflix series ‘American Murder: Gabby Petito', What are the 11 questions in domestic violence investigations
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP/AP) – The Netflix docuseries debuted this week about the story of Gabby Petito who was killed by her boyfriend while they were traveling cross country. In 2021, 22-year-old Petito was traveling the country in a converted camper van with her fiance, 23-year-old Brian Laundrie, and posting about it on social media. She was reported missing by her parents on Sept. 11, 2021, after not hearing from her since August. 'I knew something bad happened,' said Nichole Schmidt, Gabby's mother, in the trailer for the documentary 'American Murder: Gabby Petito.' Family, friends of Gabby Petito share details surrounding her death in upcoming Netflix documentary Laundrie returned to Florida alone and the search for Petito drew worldwide attention. Bodycam footage of the two of them was released to the public by police in Moab, Utah. It showed police pulling over the van that Petito and Laundrie were in after reports of an altercation on Aug. 12, 2021. Police determined that Petito was the aggressor, and officers had them spend the night apart. During the search for Petito, Laundrie was named a person of interest. He disappeared two days before Petito's body was found on Sept. 19, 2021, just outside Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Authorities determined that she had been strangled. Laundrie's remains were found a month later in a wildlife reserve near his parents' house in Florida. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after writing in a notebook that he killed Petito. An independent investigation found that Moab police made ' several unintentional mistakes ' when they encountered the couple. In their report, investigators said Petito very likely 'was a long-term victim of domestic violence, whether that be physically, mentally, and/or emotionally.' 'American Murder: Gabby Petito', a three-part Netflix documentary premiered on Feb. 17th. Episodes tell the story of Petito and Laundrie, how they met, footage of Petito's vlog, the missing person investigation, and how they reacted to their relationship. Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-788-SAFE Co-sponsor of Gabby Petito-inspired bill: 'Good policy is going to make a difference' In the Netflix series, Joseph Petito and Nichole Schmidt were shown advocating for law enforcement to ask 11 questions in domestic violence investigations citing, in Gabby's case, 'if it had been used, I believe she would still be here today,' said Schmidt. A domestic violence bill was filed in the state of Florida in 2023 called the 'Gabby Petito Act', to mandate a set of questions for law enforcement officers to ask potential victims of domestic abuse when responding to calls. This standardized approach seeks to ensure that victims receive consistent support and are made aware of the dangers they may be facing. According to our sister station, WFLA, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1224, the bill inspired by and pushed for by the family of Gabby Petito. It requires law enforcement to be trained on how to assess if a domestic violence victim is at a higher risk of death or serious injury by asking a series of 12 questions. Did the aggressor ever use a weapon against you or threaten you with a weapon? Did the aggressor ever threaten to kill you or your children? Do you believe the aggressor will try to kill you? Has the aggressor ever choked you or attempted to choke you? Does the aggressor have a gun or could the aggressor easily obtain a gun? Is the aggressor violently or constantly jealous, or does the aggressor control most of your daily activities? Did you leave or separate from the aggressor after you were living together or married? Is the aggressor unemployed? To the best of your knowledge, has the aggressor ever attempted suicide? Do you have a child whom the aggressor believes is not the aggressor's biological child? Has the aggressor ever followed, spied on, or left threatening messages for you? Is there anything else that worries you about your safety and, if so, what worries you? If the victim answers yes to any of the first four questions, or if they answer no to the first four questions but yes to at least four of questions five through 11, law enforcement officers will have to direct the victim to the nearest certified domestic violence shelter. Instead of focusing on the past, Petito's parents are focused on helping others through the Gabby Petito Foundation. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
