Due to Texas legislation passed this year, our school system is undergoing a change. With threat assessment teams and an increased focus on school mental health, parents need to be prepared for intrusive questions, attempts to get them to consent to mental health screening and mental health referrals for their children. Parents with school-aged children need to know their rights.

While there are other tools, one of the first things parents can do is file a statement known as a “Hatch Letter” with their school, putting them on notice that they do not want their child questioned, screened, or exposed to certain material; and expect full access to their child’s records and teaching materials.

By Lee Spiller, Executive Director Citizens Commissions on Human Rights Texas

In the wake of the recent spate of mass shootings, there’s a story you probably missed. It’s about a potential mass shooting that never happened. It was thwarted by a grandmother. (It’s important to note that the defendant has only been accused, not convicted)
The case illustrates why more mental health treatment is the wrong answer to curbing violence.

On Friday, the US Justice Department issued a press release about the arrest of a young man accused of making false representations to a gun dealer while purchasing an AK-47. It also credited a grandmother for thwarting a potential mass shooting.
What’s particularly disturbing is that when federal officials went to his hotel room to recover the firearms, they also found a bag with documents related to his history of depression, along with antidepressant drugs.