Suspected employee, who had access to multiple buildings, has been placed on leave pending the outcome of the investigation

On Thursday (Oct. 6), the Vancouver School District issued a statement about Wednesday’s report of a voyeurism incident at Alki Middle School.

Here is the statement:

Yesterday, Vancouver Public Schools received a troubling report that a staff member may have placed a camera in a locker room at one of our schools. As soon as we received this information, we immediately contacted law enforcement and they began an investigation into these allegations, with our assistance. We also notified the school communities that we knew may have been affected.  

As a precaution, we are conducting searches of all locker rooms and restrooms across our district, because of the accused employee’s role and their access to multiple buildings. We placed the employee on leave pending the outcome of the investigation and removed their access to district systems and buildings.  

Our students and their safety are at the heart of everything we do. We are both angry and frustrated to have to send this message to our community because it means the trust you have placed in us to care for our community’s children and our staff has been disrupted. We want you to know we are deeply sorry for the impact this situation is having on individuals and our collective community.  

We understand that families and community members may have questions about what has happened and what will happen. We will continue to fully support our law enforcement partners and be accountable for the outcomes of their investigation. With their guidance, VPS will share more information, as we are able, and without compromising the law enforcement investigation or the privacy of anyone potentially impacted.  

We will continue to offer counseling support at schools. Students and families in need of additional support are encouraged to reach out to their school leadership team. 

View video message from Superintendent Dr. Jeff Snell.

Information provided by the Vancouver School District.