The Sexual Offender Registration
Program in Texas, commonly known as Ashley’s Law,
was passed in 1995. The law requires convicted sexual offenders
to register with local law enforcement officials and for
them to pass the information on to school officials if
the victim of the offense was a minor. The law leaves to
local discretion the decision on what schools can do with
the information. In consultation with local law enforcement
officials, Frisco ISD had developed a procedure utilized
by a majority of school districts in Texas.
That procedure is to inform campus principals when the superintendent receives
information on sexual offenders. The principal then disseminates the information
to counselors, teachers and others on a “need-to-know” basis.
Frisco ISD encourages principals to educate parents on how to access the
information from local law enforcement. Law enforcement officials are in
a better position to prevent mistakes such as inadvertent identification
of victims or misidentification of offenders. The information on sex offenders
is available by visiting the local police station in person or by accessing
the Texas Department of Public Safety Web Site at: https://records.txdps.state.tx.us/DPS_WEB/Sor/index.aspx
Please understand that this law is intended to provide information to the
public that there are convicted/adjudicated sex offenders in their communities
so that they can make choices for their families’ protection; however,
the public should not rely entirely on public notification to educate themselves
on potential danger from sex offenders within their communities. We caution
against a false sense of security in the belief that we know where all sex
offenders are located. If a sex offender is non-compliant, the law allows
for a penalty to be assessed, but verification of registration when offenders
move is difficult to track.
There is no substitute for always knowing where your children are and for
maintaining close supervision. Children are our most precious resources and
we must do everything in our power to help them understand how to handle
themselves in potentially harmful situations.
