State seeks action against Leander ISD police chief's license

LEANDER, Texas — The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement is seeking to suspend Leander ISD Police Chief Shā Rogers' peace officer license for one year, and the district has placed Rogers on administrative leave while the state pursues enforcement action stemming from an investigation into the department's hiring and background investigation practices.

Superintendent Chris Clark notified department employees Friday that Rogers had been placed on administrative leave pending further investigation. Assistant Chief Jennifer Baskerville has been appointed acting chief until further notice.

The developments mark the most significant escalation in an investigation that began last year into the district's police department, which was created in 2025 to meet Texas House Bill 3 school safety requirements.

According to documents issued by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, the agency has proposed suspending Rogers' law enforcement license for one year and notified Leander ISD that it intends to seek a $15,000 administrative penalty against the district's police department.

The proposed license action alleges false or untruthful background confirmation forms were submitted to the state between July and December 2025. The petition also alleges required personnel records, fingerprint reviews and background investigation procedures were not completed in accordance with state standards.

The commission's petition is not a final determination. Rogers may accept the proposed disciplinary action or request a hearing before any license action becomes final.

The district has not publicly addressed the specific allegations contained in the proposed enforcement documents.

The action follows reporting by KXAN, whose investigation first disclosed that TCOLE had opened an investigation into the Leander ISD Police Department's background investigation procedures. KXAN also reported that nearly half of the department's original sworn officers had left during the agency's first year and that former officers had raised concerns about department operations and leadership.

Before the state issued its notices, Leander ISD acknowledged that TCOLE has been investigating the department since October 2025.

In a public statement, the district said Rogers informed incoming Superintendent Chris Clark during the spring semester about an earlier TCOLE inquiry involving background investigation procedures for new officers. According to the district, the employee whose work was under review was no longer employed by Leander ISD when Clark was informed.

The district said Clark later contacted TCOLE for additional information and was told the investigation remained active and centered on department vetting procedures.

Leander ISD said it has cooperated throughout the investigation and remains committed to working with the state as the matter continues.

District officials also said they have reinforced hiring procedures and will require hiring managers and background investigators to complete TCOLE background investigation training this fall.

The district acknowledged turnover within the new police department but disputed suggestions that it reflects broader operational failure.

"We do not dispute that LISD PD has experienced turnover, as is common with many growing law enforcement agencies," the district said in its published response to media questions. "Employees leave organizations for a variety of personal and professional reasons."

Leander ISD said it continues recruiting officers through competitive compensation, leadership development and workplace improvements. Officials said four officer positions remain vacant.

The district also maintained it is complying with House Bill 3 school safety requirements by combining commissioned officers, school marshals and an approved good-cause exception while continuing to hire additional personnel.

Regarding operational concerns raised publicly over the summer, the district said officers will receive department-issued rifles before the start of the school year, has implemented a computer-aided dispatch and records management system, established permanent evidence storage procedures, and completed a third-party review of the police department's organizational culture.

Superintendent Chris Clark has said district administrators reviewed concerns raised by former employees and identified opportunities for improvement but found no evidence of unethical or unlawful conduct during that internal review.

The Leander ISD Police Department became an independent law enforcement agency in 2025 after the Board of Trustees approved its creation in response to House Bill 3, the school safety law enacted following the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde. The department has been expanding staffing while transitioning from partnerships with municipal law enforcement agencies to its own police force.

Jennifer Baskerville, who joined the department this summer after a law enforcement career that included service with the Texas Department of Public Safety, will lead the department as acting chief while the district's investigation and the state's enforcement process continue.

Neither TCOLE nor Leander ISD has announced a timetable for concluding their respective proceedings.