The backstory
Keller ISD Place 3 trustee Sandi Walker and Young conducted interviews with an evangelical film crew from the Netherlands at Central High School in Keller while school was in session and several students were filmed. After numerous parents and other district stakeholders expressed their outrage about the incident, Walker announced in a Feb. 18 post on Facebook that she would resign from the Keller ISD board.
In a letter to Central High School families, Superintendent Tracy Johnson confirmed the film crew was at the campus Feb. 9 to film an interview with Walker, who was later joined by Young. Johnson also said the district and the board were not aware of the scheduled interview.
What they’re saying
Johnson, Young and board President Charles Randklev all issued statements regarding the incident at the Feb. 29 board meeting.
Young said that he went to Central High School on Feb. 9 and badged into Raptor, the school’s visitor identification system. Once there, he said he proceeded to the library where he met the film group for the first time. When the interview was complete, Young said he left the library and then left the campus.
“During the time I was with the film crew, I did not observe any students being interviewed,” Young said. “I regret if any students were captured on film, and I look forward to working with this body and the district to ensure this doesn't happen again.”
In her statement, Johnson said that the film crew was entered into the Raptor system and reiterated her previous statement that no one at the district administrative level or board members were made aware of this incident until after the camera crew had left the campus.
She echoed a Feb. 19 district statement that said while the investigation is still ongoing, the board has engaged the district legal counsel throughout this process and demanded that all camera footage be returned to the district.
“The district does have an internal policy that outlines the communication process for all media requests to the district, and this process was not followed,” Johnson said. “We have reminded all KISD staff and board members about the process that needs to be followed with media requests.”
“The safety and security of our students and staff is our highest priority, and the board and the district administration are committed to making sure this does not happen again,” Randklev said. “The board and the district will be adopting appropriate remedies and measures to ensure that we maintain a safe learning environment for our students and staff, and that we strengthen the trust of Keller ISD parents and taxpayers.”
