University Students Present on Historic Legal Case at National Conference

The master’s students are pursuing careers in education leadership

Two Texas A&M University-San Antonio students recently presented at a national conference about a controversial and groundbreaking case that has set a new legal precedent.

Kathryn Miller and Nathan Cruz, both education leadership master’s students, presented their research project at the Education Law Association’s annual conference in Orlando, Florida. The presentation detailed the Ethan Crumbley case, where in a historic 2021 decision the parents of mass shooter Ethan Crumbley were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Miller and Cruz’s conference presentation is an example of how the University encourages students’ professional development, providing them with hands-on, real-life opportunities to sharpen their networking skills, broaden their academic experiences, and engage with experts who work in their fields of study.

For the presentation, Miller’s research focused on the role of the mother, while Cruz focused on the father, exploring questions around parental liability and how schools can work towards creating a safer learning environment.

“We analyzed everything that led up to the shooting, and how the prosecutors won the case,” said Miller.  “It was an amazing experience. I was nervous, but I got to network with some of the finest lawyers and professors in the country.”   

Cruz added that he and Miller not only highlighted the legalities of the Crumbley case but also explored its future ramifications.

“We received a lot of positive feedback,” he said. “Many individuals asked us if we could share our presentation with them so they could take it back and present it to their faculty, both at the university and K-12 level. There are still a lot of unknowns because the cases are in the appeal process, but it’s a pivotal moment in educational law history.”

San Antonio natives Cruz and Miller both earned their undergraduate degrees from A&M-San Antonio and plan to graduate in May with their master's in education leadership.

Miller works as a special education resource teacher at Steubing Ranch Elementary and plans to pursue a Ph.D. after she graduates. Ultimately, she’d like to work as a university professor with a focus on special education, and this experience in research and presenting at national conferences has given her hands-on experience to be better equipped as she pursues that path. 

“I have a passion for working with high-risk students,” she said. “That's my niche.”

Cruz works as a fourth-grade teacher for the East Central Independent School District, where he’s also interning to become a principal. Like Arias, he plans to further his education after he graduates and has applied to get his doctorate in educational leadership policy. 

As Cruz and Miller map out their future, they’re also finalizing another special presentation for the next ELA conference in November, focusing on the psychological and socio-economic factors relating to school shootings and how to decrease the odds of such tragedies happening in the future.    

Cruz, Krimball and MillerDr. Elisabeth Krimbill (center) and students Kathryn Miller and Nathan Cruz at the Education Law Association’s annual conference in Orlando, Florida. 

The presentations are part of Dr. Elisabeth Krimbill’s education law course. Krimbill is also the newly elected president of the ELA, a nonprofit that promotes and improves education law. She said hundreds of professors, attorneys, and school and college administrators attended the association’s conference where Arias and Cruz gave their presentation, which prompted a lot of debate and discussion.  

“The entire College of Education and Human Development is proud of their research and the work they are doing to make a difference in our public schools,” Krimbill said.