A school resource officer says the Tolleson Union High School District and its superintendent forced him out of his role, but Superintendent Jeremy Calles told ABC15 he felt the officer used unnecessary force on a student in September.
Officer Eric Hendrix, with the Tolleson Police Department, went to the city council this week, telling city officials he was dealing with a “hostile work environment,” being a school resource officer at Tolleson Union High School, adding that the superintendent “pressured” him to leave. Hendrix claims the district had been surveilling him as well.
This stems from an incident that happened in September 2024. The district told ABC15 that there was a domestic incident between two students, a male and a female, where they were suspended and then came back after that. ABC15's told the male student was walking out of the office as the female student was walking with Hendrix into the office.
Surveillance video given to ABC15 from the district showed the officer taking the student to the wall. It’s unclear what prompted that and if anything was said between the two before Hendrix took him to the wall. In the video, it appears the student may have headbutted the officer but it’s still unclear. However, it was said that the student was resisting and then Hendrix appeared to have punched the student.
Calles said the student gets punched multiple times by officers, but it’s unclear with the blurry surveillance video.
“From my personal opinion, I don't see how this type of force would ever be justified,” he told ABC15.
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After this September incident, Calles told ABC15 he asked the city to replace Hendrix with another officer per their agreement with the city but that didn’t happen.
However, Hendrix stayed at the school through last week. Another incident happened on campus where a student was taken down last Thursday. Tolleson Police tell ABC15 an SRO observed a student assaulting the principal and was then arrested for aggravated assault. Hendrix had also been involved in the event, but the extent of his involvement is unknown.
Hendrix was then told he was no longer allowed on campus on Friday, according to the police department.
“I’m extremely embarrassed and hurt that I had to leave the place that I loved without telling my side of the story. I was not given a proper due process, and I was wrongfully removed from the high school. It is even more embarrassing that the staff and students may think that I quit on them,” Hendrix told city council earlier this week.
In the council meeting, Police Chief Rudy Mendoza said they reviewed Hendrix’s conduct in both incidents and found no issues with what happened.
The event last week is under investigation by the district. While the city and the police department expressed full support for Hendrix, Calles feels Hendrix’s conduct was unnecessary.
“We are here to protect our students and whether it's an SRO, one of my own staff members, or anyone else that is causing harm to a student, yes, I’m going to intervene,” Calles said. “I am going to make sure that we are putting the safety and security of our students as the number one priority, regardless of who it is that we have to keep them safe from.”
ABC15 has requested multiple videos and documents related to both incidents and will continue to follow this story.
A full statement from the Tolleson Police Department can be read below:
