Email the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office and tell them to dismiss all charges against Timothy Murray NOW!

On September 8 2023, 11 year old Timothy Murray was called out of his 5th grade class and confronted by his principal, Myrta Garza, who claimed that a classmate had accused Timothy of making threats towards her. He denied the accusation. The principal, instead of using appropriate educational and disciplinary methods, called law enforcement. Timothy was then handcuffed, placed in a police car, and taken to a juvenile center where he was held in solitary confinement for three days–a violation of state laws and Timothy's constitutional rights. The officers wouldn’t let Timothy’s mother see or talk to him for the first two days, and then only permitted her to talk to him for 5 minutes when he was having a panic attack. Now, the Cameron County District Attorney's Office has decided to pursue charges of "terroristic threats'' against Timothy.

Timothy Murray is an active and curious 11 year old boy who lives in Brownsville with his mother. Timothy lost his father to cancer this year, and when school started he wrote to the principal asking to see a guidance counselor. He was told that the school did not have a counselor and his inquiries led to retaliation and bullying by the principal, culminating in Timothy's arrest on September 8.

Now, the prosecutor assigned from the Cameron County DA's Office, Assistant District Attorney Rene Garza, has decided to pursue criminal charges and build a criminal case against Timothy. Despite lacking substantial evidence, additional charges were filed by school administrators who previously worked under Principal Myrta Garza. On February 14 Timothy will have to miss Valentine’s Day celebrations with his friends and family to attend his court hearing.

The arrest and legal battle has taken a toll on Timothy's well-being. He is now anxious and displaying obvious signs of distress. No child should be so cruelly separated from their family or put in solitary confinement. Solitary confinement is an inhumane form of physical and mental torture, especially for children. Schools should be a safe environment focused on providing a nurturing learning space, not a place where children are criminalized for misbehaving.

Sadly, this is not an isolated case.  Timothy was not the only child that was put in solitary confinement that week, and accounts from Brownsville ISD parents suggest that this is a widespread practice.

The Superintendent of Brownsville ISD, Rene Gutierrez, and Principal Myrta Garza must be held accountable for traumatizing our children and reinforcing the school to prison pipeline. Brownsville ISD must divest from punitive and aggressive tactics that criminalize children and invest in mental health resources and support for teachers, students and parents. And the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office must stop cooperating with the Brownsville ISD to lock up and terrorize children.

Divest/Invest RGV will fight alongside Timothy and his mother to achieve these goals. Most immediately, we urgently need your help to show Cameron County District Attorney Luis Saenz and ADA Rene Garza that the community will not allow them to traumatize our children.

Take action today and email Cameron County DA Luis Saenz and Assistant District Attorney to urge them to dismiss the charges against Timothy and stop cooperating with Brownsville ISD to criminalize children!

Read more background information about Timothy here 1, 2, 3.