A Tomball ISD elementary school principal is on administrative leave after a voicemail captured comments the district described as unprofessional, adding another layer to concerns first raised by the family of a five-year-old student at Grand Oaks Elementary.
There are two separate issues involved.
One centers on a student-welfare concern reported by the girl’s family and the school’s response to it.
The second centers on comments made by the principal that were captured on a voicemail she apparently believed had ended.
Tomball ISD says the original concern was investigated and the district’s policies and procedures were followed. The girl’s father, however, says his family still has questions about what those procedures involved and what will be done before they feel comfortable sending their daughter back to school.
The girl has not returned to Grand Oaks Elementary since the family raised its concerns, according to her father.
What the family says happened at school
The girl’s father told KPRC 2 his five-year-old daughter told her family another student touched her inappropriately while at Grand Oaks Elementary.
KPRC 2 is not identifying the child because of her age and the nature of the allegation.
Her father said the girl initially told her mother what happened. The family then reported the concern to the school.
Tomball ISD said a concern involving student welfare was brought to campus administrators on Friday, Sept. 25.
According to the district, the campus “acted swiftly,” launched an investigation and reported its findings that same day.
The district said all required steps were followed according to its policies and procedures. Because the matter involves students, Tomball ISD said it cannot publicly discuss specific details of the incident.
The father does not dispute that an investigation took place. He questions whether the matter was taken seriously enough and says he wants a better understanding of exactly what steps were taken.
“If they follow the procedures, why don’t I know the procedure so I can make sure?” he said. “If you say you took all these steps to protect my child, I feel like as a parent, I should know.”
A voicemail records comments the principal believed were private
The family’s concerns took another turn after a phone call involving the school’s principal.
A voicemail left for the family continued recording after the principal apparently believed the call had ended.
In the recording, the principal can be heard making comments about the situation and the family.
Tomball ISD is treating those comments separately from the original student-welfare concern.
The district said the recording captured the principal making “unprofessional comments she believed were in private” and said those comments do not reflect the professional standards expected by Tomball ISD.
The principal was placed on administrative leave while the district investigates the personnel matter.
Father says the recording changed his view of the school’s response
The father told KPRC 2 the voicemail left him questioning not only what steps were taken, but how seriously his daughter’s report was viewed by school leadership.
He said hearing the comments was especially troubling because his daughter had spoken up about something she believed happened to her.
The father says his daughter is not afraid of school and enjoys being there. His concern is whether he and the girl’s mother can feel comfortable sending her back.
“She loves school. We gotta get her back in school, man,” he said. “I don’t wanna keep her out of school.”
He said the family wants answers about what will happen if she returns and what safeguards are in place for students when concerns like theirs are reported.
Why KPRC 2 is concealing the father’s identity
KPRC 2 interviewed the girl’s father about the family’s concerns, but we are not identifying him by name.
His face is also blurred in our video report.
Because the child is five years old and the family is discussing an allegation involving inappropriate touching, identifying her father could make it easier to identify the child.
KPRC 2 is concealing his identity to help protect his daughter’s privacy.
Two issues, two district responses
Tomball ISD’s response makes a distinction between the two matters.
Regarding the original concern involving the student, the district says campus administrators investigated, reported their findings the same day and followed district policies and procedures.
Regarding the voicemail, the district says the principal’s recorded comments are a personnel matter and are being investigated separately.
The principal remains on administrative leave during that investigation.
The district said Grand Oaks Elementary continues operating as usual in her absence. Tomball ISD also said there is an increased Precinct 4 Constable presence at the campus as an added reassurance to families.
Five-year-old has not returned to class
For the girl’s father, the immediate question is what happens before his daughter walks back into Grand Oaks Elementary.
He said she has not returned to school since the family raised its concerns.
“Even if my daughter’s ready to go back to school, if us as the parents don’t feel safe, I feel like it’s up to the administration to make us feel safe,” he said.
The father said he does not want his daughter to lose her connection to school. He wants the family to understand how the district responded, what protections are in place and how concerns involving students are handled moving forward.
Tomball ISD maintains its procedures were followed in addressing the original student-welfare concern.
The separate investigation into the principal’s recorded comments remains underway.
More Stories Like This In Our Email Newsletter
