Normangee ISD employee on leave after alleged inappropriate behavior involving a student

NORMANGEE, Texas (KBTX) – A Normangee ISD employee has been placed on administrative leave as the district investigates allegations of inappropriate behavior with a student, district officials confirmed Wednesday. However, frustration is growing among parents who feel that they were not informed about the situation quickly enough.

KBTX learned the investigation began late last week after an outside law enforcement agency reportedly notified the district of allegations involving the staff member. Normangee ISD says it immediately launched an internal investigation in collaboration with local authorities, including the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. However, the district is not sharing details about the nature of the allegations, which remain limited.

Parents and community members first contacted KBTX expressing concerns about a lack of transparency from the school district. Several parents reported hearing about the allegations from other families and community members, and not from the school.

District response and pursuit of answers

In a statement, Normangee ISD Superintendent Justin Vercher confirmed that the district is working with both the Normangee ISD Police Department and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office to investigate the situation. The district also acknowledged that the staff member, who has not been publicly identified, had been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

Normangee ISD officials say they did send a notification to parents using their district communications software, but the timing of that communication has raised eyebrows. Several parents said they did not receive the official notice until days after rumors about the investigation began circulating within the community and after KBTX began asking questions.

In response to our questions, the district has largely withheld details, citing the ongoing investigation.

“Since this is an open investigation … I cannot identify the employee in question,” Vercher said in an email.

When pressed further for details, including the identity of the teacher, the district declined to provide additional information, pointing to the sensitive nature of the case and the involvement of law enforcement.

“The school district has notified the parent of the identified student. We have also released a statement to our parents about the situation through district communications (Thrillshare),” Vercher said in an email. “This is an open investigation and I cannot provide any details at this time.”

Sheriff’s Office was not initially involved

The Leon County Sheriff’s Office, named in the county’s official statement, initially denied being aware of any investigation. In an email exchange, a sheriff’s office official said, “After reviewing our records, I cannot find anything related to an incident such as you described.”

Later that same day, the Sheriff’s Office confirmed that they had not been contacted about the case, despite the county’s statement advising anyone with information to contact the Sheriff’s Department or the county police chief.

Previous communication problems raise concerns

This isn’t the first time Normangee ISD has been criticized for delayed communication with parents. In March 2023, parents raised concerns after the district waited four days to notify families of a campus security breach involving an altercation between school security and an intruder. At the time, the district admitted to a “missed opportunity” to communicate more quickly.

Although Normangee ISD underwent leadership changes after that incident, parents now fear history is repeating itself with this latest case.

READ ALSO: An incident at Normangee ISD has left parents angry about communication

Ongoing research

Normangee ISD has not provided a timeline for when the investigation might be completed and is asking anyone with additional information to contact the Normangee ISD Police Chief or the Leon County Sheriff’s Department.

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