Uvalde School District Bans Parent for Criticizing School Security: Adam Martinez adv. Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District

Adam Martinez is a father of two children in the Uvalde, Texas public school district, one of whom was present at Robb Elementary during the shooting that resulted in the death of 21 people on May 24, 2022. After the shooting, Martinez became a vocal public critic of the school district’s security efforts. On February 13, 2023, he attended a school board meeting and approached the school district’s chief of police to discuss a recently hired officer who had been deemed ineligible for rehire by another department. The quiet conversation did not disrupt the meeting. However, in response to Martinez’s calm but impassioned criticism of the district’s hiring practices, the police chief asked Martinez to sit down. When Martinez refused, the police chief said Martinez would be banned from all school property and escorted him and his family from the building. The following day, the district’s interim superintendent sent Martinez a formal letter confirming Martinez’ ban from all district property, including board meetings, for two years.

On May 15, 2023, FIRE sent a letter to the Uvalde school board demanding it lift the ban or face a lawsuit. Martinez, like any other concerned parent, wants to be able to visit school property and voice his concerns at school board meetings. He also wants to stand up for his community’s right to attend public meetings and be free from retaliation for criticizing the government. On July 6, 2023, Uvalde Backed down. The school district lifted Martinez' ban and he is free to return to school board meetings and resume being a voice of concerned parents across Uvalde.