In September 2024, a Tolleson police officer working as a school resource officer at Tolleson Union High School punched a student in the face and kneed him in the chest while detaining him. In response, the school district barred the officer from campus and later removed all Tolleson officers from SRO positions, sparking a battle among elected city officials.
Now the student at the center of the conflict — Alejandro Vasquez Romero, who was 16 at the time of the incident — is suing just about everyone else involved. Among the defendants to the suit, filed on June 19 in Maricopa County Superior Court, are the city of Tolleson, the Tolleson Police Department, the Tolleson Union High School District, the high school and the police officers involved. That includes former Tolleson officer Eric Hendrix, who hit and kneed Romero.
“Our client is a young man who had the courage to stand up for himself and seek accountability through the courts,” wrote Caitlin Engstrand, Romero’s attorney, in a statement to Phoenix New Times. “This case is not about revenge. It is about ensuring that every student is treated with dignity, respect, and appropriate care by the adults entrusted with their safety.”…