Prime Time Trouble

Prime Prep parts ways with co-founder Deion Sanders after assault allegation

UPDATE: There are conflicting reports on the relationship between Deion Sanders and Prime Prep Academy. In a press release dated October 11, board chairman T. Christopher Lewis expressed support for the "decision to end the relationship between Prime Prep Academy and Mr. Deion Sanders." Meanwhile, Sanders continues to tweet as though he is still affiliated with the school, including several from the football team's pep rally. Calls to Prime Prep for clarification were not immediately returned.

Deion Sanders is officially no longer affiliated with the athletics-focused charter school he co-founded in Dallas. Prime Prep Academy released a statement October 10 severing ties with the NFL Hall of Famer.

"Effective immediately, Deion Sanders is no longer an employee or representative for Prime Prep Academy," Superintendent Rachel M. King-Sanders said. "Prime Prep is committed to continually improving as an educational institution and it will continue to strive for excellence in every aspect."

The news comes just one day after another employee accused Sanders of assault. Kevin Jefferson, Prime Prep's CFO, alleges that Sanders grabbed him by the throat during an administrative meeting. Sanders denied the allegations on Twitter, and referred to Jefferson as "a fake administrator."

Prime Prep is a tuition-free charter school that Sanders co-founded with D.L. Wallace. It has campuses in Dallas and Fort Worth and has been embattled in controversy since it opened its doors less than two years ago. In 2012, Prime Prep withdrew from UIL athletic competition after a score of eligibility allegations threatened to derail the school's inaugural season.

There's no indication as to whether Sander's removal was a board decision or purely that of the superintendent. All evidence of Sander's involvement with the school — save for the announcement ousting him — has been scrubbed from Prime Prep's website.

The person who answered the phone at Prime Prep Dallas this morning said she was unable to elaborate on the school's official statement. Sanders hasn't publicly responded to the news. Instead, he's using his Twitter account to promote Prime Prep's Homecoming game.

Homecoming Baby! PrimePrep I know yall still up cause I check u all tweets. Are yall ready for tomorrow night? Lets go Coach B voice Already

— DeionSanders (@DeionSanders) October 11, 2013

unspecified

stay alert

Texas shocks as America's No. 3 least safe state in 2026 report

Photo by Hiroshi Kimura on Unsplash

Texas ranks as the 48th "safest" state — out of 50.

While no state is invulnerable, some do more to protect their residents than others. And a new study has declared Texas one of the five least safe states in America.

WalletHub's "Safest States in America (2026)" report examined all 50 states for their emergency preparedness and for residents' personal and residential, financial, workplace, and road safety. Factors that weighed into the rankings include specific crime rates per capita, the share of the population that is uninsured, road quality ratings, workplace injury statistics, and more.

Texas ranked at the bottom of the list as the 48th "safest" state — or the third least safe state. It's joined by several other Southern states, like Mississippi (No. 50), Louisiana (No. 49), Florida (No. 47), and Arkansas (No. 46).

According to WalletHub, Texas specifically ranks third to last in the nationwide "emergency preparedness" category, which was determined based on the prevalence of climate disasters causing $1 billion or more in damages from 1980-2024, and the loss amount resulting from those disasters.

The Lone Star State also ranked 40th (or 10th worst) across three safety categories: personal and residential safety, financial safety, and road safety. The report additionally found that Texas has the highest rate of uninsured residents nationally.

Texas' "workplace safety" was the state's highest-ranking category, landing 30th nationally.

Additional rankings that determined Texas' overall safety include:

No. 30 – Assaults per capita
No. 32 – Fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 full-time workers
No. 32 – Sex offenders per capita
No. 35 – Murders and non-negligent manslaughters per capita
No. 36 – Fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles of travel
No. 41 – Loss amounts from climate disasters per capita

According to the report, the five safest states in America are all located in the Northeast. Vermont leads as the country's safest state in 2026, followed by Massachusetts (No. 2), Maine (No. 3), New Hampshire (No. 4), and Connecticut (No. 5).

Though every state has varying levels of safety, WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo asserted that the safest places in the U.S. categorically invest in protecting their residents. Top-ranking states have low crime rates and diligently maintain their road infrastructure, and other states that prioritize their residents' safety have "strong economies and job markets that prevent people from falling into dangerous financial situations."

"[The safest states in America] have high levels of occupational safety and disaster preparedness, too," Lupo said. "In addition, states are made safer by efforts that individual residents take, such as forming a neighborhood watch or working in firefighting and EMT jobs at high rates."

safety texas wallethub reports