The Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday that the Department of Public Safety (DPS) acted within its rights when it fired a veteran Texas Ranger who blamed a high-pressure confrontation at his daughter’s school on his post-traumatic stress disorder.
The decision, authored by Justice James P. Sullivan, reverses a lower court ruling and shuts down a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by former Special Agent Robert Christopher Callaway.
The court found that because Callaway’s condition caused him to lose control during a crisis, he could no longer “reasonably perform” the duties of a law enforcement officer.
The case stems from a January 2020 incident. While Callaway was on medical leave for PTSD and alcoholism, he received word that school counselors were considering detaining his daughter for a mental health crisis. Callaway rushed to the high school armed with his DPS badge, handcuffs, and a personal firearm.
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Inside a small office, witnesses said Callaway became aggressive. When two school district police officers arrived to transport the girl to a treatment facility, Callaway displayed his badge and threatened to arrest them for “interfering with his rights as a parent.” One counselor reported she had “never been so afraid” and feared for her life during the outburst.
Callaway later admitted his PTSD sometimes “takes over,” leading to “less than optimal outcomes,” and described his behavior at the school as a “fight or flight” response where he “chose to fight.”
Former DPS Director Colonel Steve McCraw, who made the final call to fire Callaway, testified that while he empathized with Callaway as a father, the agency could not overlook the misuse of authority.
“A DPS Officer has an obligation to control their emotions when they get there, plain and simple,” McCraw stated during a discharge hearing. “We can’t afford to have a trooper, a special agent, or Texas Ranger that can’t control their emotions.”
While Callaway argued his firing was discriminatory under the Texas Labor Code, the Supreme Court pointed to a specific provision in the law. Justice Sullivan noted that disability protections only apply if the condition does not impair a person’s ability to do their job.
“DPS can’t give someone a sidearm and a badge, send him out to handle stressful interactions with other Texans, and then have that officer snap under pressure,” the opinion stated. The court further noted that Callaway’s actions created a “grave risk of blue-on-blue violence” by threatening fellow officers.
The ruling acknowledged Callaway’s sixteen years of service and the toll the job took on his mental health but ultimately concluded that public safety outweighed his claim. The court dismissed all remaining charges against the department.
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