Governor Unleashed: 'Why Is A Teacher Having Sex With A Child In School? That's Reprehensible'
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) -- Governor Greg Abbott announced a new crackdown against Texas teachers convicted of having sex with their students today. But when a Dallas pastor asked him why those teachers should lose their pensions, the governor didn't hold back.
"Well hopefully it sends a message to a teacher," Abbott began his response. Raising his voice he continued, "They better not assault one of our children in school! Why is a teacher having sex with a child in school?"
The man who identified himself as a pastor from Dallas was referring to Abbott's earlier remarks. "I think I heard you say that these teachers who do that will lose their pensions," said the pastor. "And the question is, what good does it do to impoverish a person like that?"
"That's reprehensible!" Abbott continued his response to growing applause. "And they deserve to lose their pension; they better go get a job elsewhere and do not mess with our children in school! Period!"
As part of his plan, Abbott wants the state to create a "Do Not Hire" registry for teachers and other school employees who have been convicted –or placed on deferred adjudication – for improper relationship with students.
Abbot was speaking in the training room at Dallas CASA where he was receiving an award from the North Texas Coalition Against Human Trafficking.
Following the awards ceremony, Abbott introduced his policy proposal aimed at combating human trafficking, Sexual harassment and sexual assault.
Abbott also unveiled a plan to erase a large back-log of untested rape kits in Texas. The governor called for the state legislature to spend $14 million dollars to test all of the remaining kits that could solve sexual assaults.
The governor says he's kick-starting the effort by giving a one million dollar grant to start the process.
There may be as many as fifteen-thousand untested rape kits and the governor says the state needs to play catch-up on what he called "a shameful fact."
"We've done the math, we've counted the kits. We believe we can fully fund the testing of all the rape kits in the backlog by the state footing the bill this time."
After that is complete, the governor says it will be up to other jurisdictions to pay to have the rape kits tested.
The question was asked after the governor had concluded his remarks.
