Lago Vista ISD hires a third-party investigator after vetting protocols were not followed
The Lago Vista ISD school board unanimously voted to hire a third–party firm to investigate why a “private coach” was not properly vetted before working with its high school runners.
AUSTIN (KXAN) – On Saturday, the Lago Vista ISD school board unanimously voted to hire a third–party firm to investigate why a “private coach” was not properly vetted before working with its high school runners.
In the email to parents, the district said a community member, presenting himself as a “private coach”, approached a group of high school male athletes practicing on their own over the summer.
The district said he obtained numerous student phone numbers, began communicating and meeting with them, and has since been present during student practices before and after school and over the summer.
District officials said the “private coach” has never been affiliated with Lago Vista ISD but that proper vetting protocols were not followed.
“It has become apparent that the district’s well-established processes for non-employee access to students were not followed,” Lago Vista ISD officials said in a Feb. 23 email to parents.
The school board hired DeSantis Group to investigate the matter. Tiffany Duncan will be the lead investigator. The school board said the firm has no affiliation with the district’s current legal team and has previous experience investigating human resources.
The district has not provided a timeline for when the investigation will conclude.
District officials would not verify the name of the community member it referenced in emails to parents, saying legal counsel advised it would be inappropriate to comment at this time. The city police department also would not confirm the person’s identity.
According to school officials, the person has been restricted from all campus grounds, and the Lago Vista Police Department and the district are “investigating the nature of extent of this individual’s interaction with students.”