Texas Codes

Tex. Educ. Code § 21.156 (2026)

Discharge Or Suspension Without Pay Under Continuing Contract

✓ current as of May 2026

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Sec. 21.156. DISCHARGE OR SUSPENSION WITHOUT PAY UNDER CONTINUING CONTRACT. (a) A teacher employed under a continuing contract may be discharged at any time for good cause as determined by the board of trustees, good cause being the failure to meet the accepted standards of conduct for the profession as generally recognized and applied in similarly situated school districts in this state.

(b) In lieu of discharge or pending discharge, a school district may suspend a teacher without pay for good cause as specified by Subsection (a) for a period not to extend beyond the end of the current school year.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995.

Amended by:

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 8 (S.B. 8), Sec. 6, eff. September 28, 2011.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 9 cases, 1996–2020 · leading case: Tave v. Alanis, 109 S.W.3d 890 (Tex. App. 2003).

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Tave v. Alanis, 109 S.W.3d 890 (Tex. App. 2003). · cites it 2× “” Tex. Educ.Code Ann. § 21.156(a) (Vernon 1996).”

Goodie v. Houston Indep. Sch. Dist., 57 S.W.3d 646 (Tex. App. 2001). · cites it 2× “Tex. Educ.Code Ann. § 21.156(a) (Vernon 1996).”

Miller v. Houston Indep. Sch. Dist., 51 S.W.3d 676 (Tex. App. 2001). “See also Tex. Educ.Code Ann. §§ 21.156(a) (Vernon 2996).”

Wittman v. Nelson, 100 S.W.3d 356 (Tex. App. 2002). “Tex. Educ.Code Ann. § 21.154 (Vernon 1996).”

North East Indep. Sch. Dist. & Texas Comm'r of Educ. v. Dehann Riou (Tex. 2020). · cites it 4× “” 1 The statute defines “good cause” as “the failure to meet 1 TEX. EDUC. CODE § 21.156(a). the accepted standards of conduct for the profession as generally recognized and applied in similarly situated school districts in this state.”

North East Indep. Sch. Dist. & Texas Comm'r of Educ. v. Dehann Riou (Tex. App. 2018). · cites it 3× “See TEX. EDUC. CODE ANN. § 21.156. Integral to this contention is Riou’s argument that the good cause per se doctrine employed by the IHE and the Commissioner conflicts with the statutory definition of “good cause” found in § 21.”

Edinburg Consol. Indep. Sch. Dist. & Mike Morath, Comm'r of Educ. for the State of Texas v. Cristina L. Esparza (Tex. App. 2020). “)); see also TEX. EDUC. CODE ANN. § 21.156 (providing that good cause to terminate an educator employed under a continuing contract is “the failure to meet the accepted standards of conduct for the profession as generally recognized and applied in similarly situated school…”

Dona Wittman v. Jim Nelson, Comm'r of Educ., in His Off. Capacity Texas Educ. Agency, & Carrizo Springs Consol. Indep. Sch. Dist. (Tex. App. 2002). “Tex. Educ. Code Ann. § 21.154 (Vernon 1996).”

Ysleta Indep. Sch. Dist. v. Lionel R. Meno, Comm'r of Educ., & Texas Educ. Agency (Tex. App. 1996). “109 (1), since repealed and recodified at Tex. Educ. Code Ann. § 21.156 (West 1996)).”

— Tex. Educ. Code § 21.156(a) — 4 cases

Tave v. Alanis, 109 S.W.3d 890 (Tex. App. 2003). “” Tex. Educ.Code Ann. § 21.156(a) (Vernon 1996).”

Goodie v. Houston Indep. Sch. Dist., 57 S.W.3d 646 (Tex. App. 2001). “Tex. Educ.Code Ann. § 21.156(a) (Vernon 1996).”

Miller v. Houston Indep. Sch. Dist., 51 S.W.3d 676 (Tex. App. 2001). “See also Tex. Educ.Code Ann. §§ 21.156(a) (Vernon 2996).”

North East Indep. Sch. Dist. & Texas Comm'r of Educ. v. Dehann Riou (Tex. 2020). “” 1 The statute defines “good cause” as “the failure to meet 1 TEX. EDUC. CODE § 21.156(a). the accepted standards of conduct for the profession as generally recognized and applied in similarly situated school districts in this state.”

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