NCYL Files Civil Rights Complaint Over Texas Truancy Practices

Michael Harris and Hannah Benton of the National Center for Youth Law, along with representatives from Texas Appleseed and Disability Rights Texas, filed a civil rights complaint last week with the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of students in Dallas County truancy court.

The complaint, which comes in response to a wide range of abuses, urges the Justice Department to force reforms and contends that criminal prosecution of truancy is a violation of students’ constitutional rights. “Students are being taken from school in handcuffs and brought to adult courts without being provided legal counsel,” Harris said.

In addition, Dallas, Mesquite, Garland, and Richardson school districts (all in Dallas County) are employing “inconsistent and inflexible” attendance policies and practices that violate the civil rights of students with disabilities and limited English proficiency.

Read press coverage of NCYL’s complaint filing on The New York Times, The Washington Post and ProPublica websites. Read NCYL's press release here.