Tolleson School District Ends Contract with Local Police Over Excessive Force Incident
Amidst concerns over an incident involving excessive force, the Tolleson Union High School District has decided to terminate its contract for school resource officers with the Tolleson Police Department. This decision stems from events that transpired last year, where a student faced undue physical aggression from an officer on school grounds.
The initial incident occurred in September when a student at Tolleson Union High School was forcefully pinned against a wall and subsequently to the ground by the on-campus officer. Following this, Superintendent Jeremy Calles took immediate action by requesting an investigation from the city and the removal of the officer involved.
“They concluded that they saw no wrongdoing,” Calles stated. “I disagreed and I told them that we do not allow corporal punishment at our district and that they needed to have the officer removed. They refused to remove the officer.”
Despite Calles’ request, the officer remained on campus, leading to another similar incident. As a result, Calles instructed his principal and site staff to prohibit the officer from entering the school premises again.
To ensure an impartial review, Calles engaged an external firm to investigate the case, which concluded that the officer had indeed employed excessive force against the student. However, the Police Department contested these findings, maintaining their stance of no wrongdoing.
Looking ahead, the school district plans to collaborate with other municipalities to fill the vacant school resource officer roles. The district’s focus remains on ensuring the safety and well-being of its students without relying on the current police department’s resources.
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