More than a dozen families have filed a lawsuit against Texas Leadership Charter Academy, alleging staff subjected students to extreme physical punishment, which led to the hospitalization of 20 students in late February.
The civil suit, which was filed in Dallas County, accuses TLCA San Angelo and several former and current employees of allegedly forcing at least 50 student-athletes to perform excessive push-ups over multiple days without adequate rest or water.
According to the complaint, some of the hospitalized students were diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, a potentially life-threatening condition caused by muscle breakdown what can lead to kidney damage.
What are the families seeking?
Attorneys for the families claim the students experienced severe pain, swelling and a loss of mobility, with some requiring hospital stays of over seven days and ongoing medical treatment. The lawsuit also alleges lasting psychological effects, including anxiety and fear of returning to school.
The families are seeking monetary damages exceeding $1 million, including compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering and emotional distress. They are also requesting punitive damages.
A look at Texas Leadership Academy
TLCA is a charter academy, and, like other Texas public schools, it receives state funding based on reported attendance.
According to the 2024-2025 snapshot enrollment numbers submitted by TLCA, the school had a total of 4,202 students across its campuses.
That enrollment figure resulted in the school receiving $42,893,821 from Texas’s Per Capita and Foundation School Program and $3,560,176 in Federal revenues distributed by the Texas Education Agency, totaling a little more than $45 million, according to the school’s 2024-25 financial audit.
As stated in TLCA’s financial audit, “For the year ended August 31, 2025, the School received 96% of its total revenue and support from governmental agencies.”
According to financial audits obtained by the Standard-Times, the organization had over $67 million in total assets across its elementary, middle school and high school campuses in Abilene, Arlington, Midland and San Angelo.
Of the $67 million in total assets, just over $53 million is tied up in current and noncurrent liabilities, such as operating leases, notes payable and bonds payable. That left TLCA just under $14 million in resources that the organization could use freely.
The school had $2,050,516 in cash and cash equivalents as of Aug. 31, 2025, when the audit was filed.
Paul Witwer covers high school sports and Angelo State University sports for The San Angelo Standard-Times. Reach him at sports@gosanangelo.com. Follow him on X @Paul_Witwer, Instagram and TikTok at pwitwer_sast.
This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: What are the dozen families seeking from TLCA in alleged abuse lawsuit?
Reporting by Paul Witwer, San Angelo Standard-Times / San Angelo Standard-Times
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