LAGO VISTA, Texas — Lago Vista ISD is in the process of investigating several incidents where a man unaffiliated with the district allegedly made contact with high school students while presenting himself as a private coach.
In a Feb. 23 message to the community, posted on Facebook, the district said on Saturday, Feb. 17, officials were made aware of concerns about a man's presence at high school cross country and track practices and events. The district said the man presents himself as a private coach and has never been affiliated with Lago Vista ISD in any official capacity.
The district said it immediately began investigating the concerns and notified the Lago Vista Police Department. On Tuesday, Feb. 20, the man was informed that he is restricted from all Lago Vista ISD campus grounds.
The district said through its investigation, it has learned that the man allegedly first made contact with high school students during the summer, outside of any campus-sponsored activity. The district noted that community members have always been allowed access to the track, tennis courts and cross country trails outside of the school day, and student-athletes also access those spaces on their own time.
Lago Vista ISD said the man in question approached a group of high school boys who were practicing on their own during the summer. He allegedly got several of the students' phone numbers and began communicating and meeting with them. The district said it is in the process of gathering information about the communications and interactions that happened during the summer.
The district said the man has also been present during student practices before and after school, as well as during the summer. Among those were a handful of middle school practices, according to the district, but the man was not involved in the practices. The district said the man allegedly approached two middle school students and invited them to participate in a spring running camp, but the interaction stopped there. The district said it doesn't currently have any reason to believe there were any further interactions between the man and any middle school students.
However, Lago Vista ISD said that with regard to high school, it's clear that the district's processes for non-employee access to students were not followed.
"It is the expectation that proper protocols be followed to vet all individuals who come into contact with our students during the school day or through our extracurricular programs. That expectation was not met in this situation," the district said.
The district went on to say it is thoroughly investigating to determine the nature and extent of this man's interactions with high school students. The district has been in contact with each of the students and families that it believes were involved.
Lago Vista ISD said additional updates will be provided once it has concluded its investigation, but the district added that this situation "is not reflective of our standard practices or the rigorous protocols we have in place to ensure the safety and well-being of our students." The district said it is conducting a thorough review of its visitor procedures to prevent any similar situations in the future.
Anyone with any information or concerns related to this investigation or the safety of Lago Vista ISD students is encouraged to reach out to their campus principal directly.