The Barbers Hill school district prompted a new law meant to prohibit schools from punishing students with hairstyles associated with race. A recent student suspension sparks questions about the extent of the CROWN Act’s protections.
Dave Harmon
Dave Harmon joined the Tribune in 2017 after spending 18 years at the Austin American-Statesman as a reporter, assistant metro editor and member of the investigative team. A Kalamazoo, Michigan, native, Dave moved to Texas with his family in 1981 and went to high school in Katy. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a journalism degree, he started his reporting career in the Rio Grande Valley at The (McAllen) Monitor, covering health care and the environment on both sides of the Texas-Mexico border. Dave lives in Austin, is a proud Longhorns fan and taught journalism at his alma mater as an adjunct instructor for more than a decade. He’s proficient in Spanish and travels frequently to Mexico.
Posted in
Public Education
First day of school comes with mixed student emotions after Texas took over Houston ISD
Thousands of Houston-area students returned to radically different campuses Monday as a new era begins in Texas’ largest school district.
Posted in
Higher Education
University of Houston students brace for LGBTQ Resource Center closure in response to Texas’ DEI ban
The announcement confronted students with the impact of a new law that will require all state-funded colleges and universities to close their diversity, equity and inclusion offices.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
“A place of torment”: 22 families, former inmates sue Harris County over jail conditions
A federal lawsuit accuses the sheriff’s office of violating the constitutional rights of inmates, dozens of whom have died or been injured at the jail in recent years.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
“Someone’s going to end up dead”: New evidence emerges in Travis Scott Astroworld tragedy
A new Houston police report details how the rapper perceived what was happening and what he told investigators. It also contains police interviews with concert promoters, security personnel and other key witnesses.
Posted in
Public Education
Houston ISD’s state-appointed superintendent will cut over 500 jobs
Mike Miles said the cuts will be mostly from academics-related departments with more positions to be cut in coming weeks, he said.
Posted in
Environment
Federal investigation faults Houston company in 2020 explosion that killed three people
The explosion at a machine shop damaged hundreds of nearby homes. Investigators found that flammable gas leaked into the building and was ignited by a light switch.
Posted in
Public Education
New state-appointed Houston school board criticized for limiting public access at meeting
The state recently took over the Houston school district. The new officials restricted the number of people allowed in the board room, requiring many people to watch from an overflow space.
Posted in
Environment
Hurricane season for Texas’ Gulf Coast region is here. We have predictions, preparation tips and other advice.
Hurricane season officially started June 1 and runs through Nov. 30, the six-month period when most activity in the tropics generally occurs. Here are the common things typically overlooked or misunderstood during hurricane season.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texans with mental illnesses are dying in Houston-area jails
A Houston Landing investigation found that nearly 180 people in Texas had been flagged as potentially mentally ill but died in jail instead of getting the care they needed.