Vancouver Public Schools officials are searching locker rooms and restrooms throughout the district following reports that a staff member may have placed a camera in a girls locker room at Alki Middle School.
The district-wide search, announced Thursday in a video address by the district’s superintendent, came as the Clark County Sheriff’s Office revealed the staff member had also spent time at neighboring Skyview High School.
Authorities had not identified the employee or made any arrests, as of Thursday afternoon.
Detectives seized several of the staff member’s electronic devices, including computers, while executing search warrants at the employee’s house, according to sheriff’s Sgt. Chris Skidmore. He said deputies also searched at Alki and Skyview.
The employee invoked their right to remain silent and has retained an attorney, Skidmore said.
The school district said the employee in question has been stripped of their access to district systems and buildings and placed on leave.
A letter sent to families of students at Alki and Skyview on Wednesday afternoon signed by Superintendent Jeff Snell said the employee in question left school grounds early and had not been located by law enforcement officials. A following news release from the sheriff’s office reported that deputies obtained search warrants and were conducting a search at the employee’s house Wednesday evening.
“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,” Snell said in his Thursday video address.
“We want you to know we are deeply sorry for the impact this situation is having on individuals and our collective community,” he said.
Snell said that the district will share additional information regarding the investigation in the coming days, if possible.
