A Keller ISD trustee has resigned after bringing an evangelist film crew from the Netherlands to shoot a documentary inside Central High School without the school district's permission.
Parents and students say the incident violated student privacy and school security and are calling for another trustee to resign.
KISD Place 3 Trustee Sandi Walker posted to Facebook on Sunday night that she planned to step down.
"After spending time in prayer, conversations with family and close friends, I have made the decision to resign from my position as school board trustee," Walker wrote.
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The statement came nine days after Keller ISD officials said Walker brought a European film crew inside Central High School on Feb. 9 to film a documentary without the district's permission.
"My son came home from school and mentioned that a film crew had filmed him and his friends at his lunch table," CHS parent Laney Hawes said.
Hawes's son took a video of the camera crew inside the school, informing his mother that he was told they were from the Netherlands and were accompanied by the Keller Board of Trustees members.
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"They were here the whole day, like the whole school day. They said they were in different classrooms. They talked about their political agenda," said Elliott Mullaney, a student at Central High.
Another parent told NBC 5 that her son heard a trustee give a political interview on camera.
"My son came home, he was really upset because they were having a conversation around him making disparaging remarks about transgender students, celebrating the books they've had banned from our schools," Kristy Hill said.
Parents said after Feb. 9, they reached out to the school district, which initially said it wasn't aware of any camera crew on campus that day.
After researching, Laney Hawes discovered the crew was with EO, a Dutch evangelical television network that has produced prior documentaries on US politics, one titled God Jesus, Trump!
Hawes said many parents were outraged.
"The concern is because we don't want culture wars in our kids' classrooms," Hawes said. "My kids don't need to be a pawn in some political game, and my son was used as a prop."
After the incident, the Keller ISD superintendent sent a message to CHS families.
"We have confirmed that a production company from the Netherlands visited our campus to film an interview with Keller ISD Trustee Sandi Walker and was later joined by Trustee Micah Young," Dr. Tracy Johnson said. "We understand that while there, the film crew toured the school with Trustee Walker and talked to some CHS students and employees."
"The District and Board were not aware of the scheduled interview," the statement to parents continued. "KISD administrators have been in contact with the film company, who have assured us that no students or teachers would be visible in the video they are producing."
Walker initially apologized before resigning on Sunday.
KISD Place 1 Trustee Micah Young also posted a Facebook message regarding the incident.
"I briefly assisted my colleague in an interview about Texas public schools," Young said. "During the time that I was there, I did not observe any students being interviewed. I regret if any students were captured on film."
Keller ISD issued a new statement to NBC DFW on Sunday, saying, "The district will continue to pursue legal channels to ensure the footage of our students and staff will not be used in this production, and we will continue to have discussions about how we can assure that something like this does not occur in the future."
Some parents felt more action needed to be taken, but some teachers have called this the last straw. One Central High teacher told us she would walk off the job today, but wants to stay to make sure her students finish the year with a certified teacher and not a substitute making minimum wage.
"“You remember why you why you did this job, or you brought your kids to this district, we bought our house here. And you just keep pushing that line back. And then it's too much like, what are we gonna do when, when I can't even keep my own leadership from bringing these people into the building?” she asked.
Teachers who are keeping their job told NBCDFW they concerned about the safety protocols that these board members may have breached.
"We're waiting for the second trustee who was involved to resign," Hawes said. "And we really are trying to get to the bottom of whether or not the other trustees are involved."
"We need board members the will adhere to the rules and regulations to protect families," said Andrew Sternke, a parent in the district who called the board members actions, "dangerous".
The Dutch TV network, EO, told NBC 5 that the footage recorded at Central High School would be used in "a neutral journalistic program that examines Christian culture in the USA." EO also maintains that the crew was allowed to film on school grounds.
"The film crew obtained permission to record at the school in advance," Leonie de Graaf, spokesperson and communications advisor for EO, told NBC 5. "The film crew went through all standard registration and administration procedures upon entering the building and the crew was warmly welcomed by the staff that day. As stated prior, all children will be unrecognizable and all ethical and journalistic guidelines were applied during the recording and will be applied in the process of making this program."
NBC 5 contacted Sandi Walker and Micah Young for a response to parent concerns about this incident but have not heard back.
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