Texas teacher misconduct reports surge threefold, record numbers added to Do Not Hire list
After a new accountability law took effect, Texas reported a three-fold rise in teacher misconduct filings and an all-time high of educators placed on the Do Not Hire Registry.
The Texas Education Agency’s Educator Misconduct Reporting Dashboard recorded 19,766 reports of teacher misconduct for the 2026 fiscal year, a three-times increase from the previous year and the highest level since the system began. Roughly 74% of the complaints were submitted by school superintendents, while 14% came from the Department of Family and Protective Services. Investigations revealed that 7,288 cases involved violence or injury to students, and sexual misconduct allegations exceeded 3,000, including inappropriate relationships and abuse.
The state has added 1,079 teachers to the Do Not Hire Registry, the most in a single year, bringing the total since 2020 to 5,268. These trends follow the passage of SB 571, a bipartisan law that strengthens reporting requirements, creates a public dashboard, and establishes an inspector general for education misconduct.
