Parents, students urge Denton ISD to address bullying and Chromebook filtering; board enters closed session, later extends superintendent contract

DENTON, Texas — During the second open forum at the May 13 meeting many students and parents described alleged bullying, failures of campus responses and procedural barriers to accountability. The public-comment period also included students asking the district to restore some online audio/video access for study and focus; the board entered closed session later in the meeting and, after returning to open session, voted unanimously to extend the superintendent’s contract by one year.

What speakers said about bullying and school response: Several speakers described long-running bullying episodes at middle and high schools (Harpool, Geyer and others), said campus-level complaints and grievances had not been effectively investigated, and asked the board for greater oversight and accountability. Student speakers recounted being targeted and having to withdraw from the district; parents described escalation to health‑care interventions for children they said were suicidal.

Representative comments (verbatim, as delivered at the meeting): “...they were ignored, and the more I spoke up, the more I was targeted,” said Kingston Kano, a student who said he transferred out of Denton ISD and is now “thriving” in a new district.

“My child began to have suicidal thoughts,” a parent said during testimony about sustained bullying and alleged staff inaction; the parent described seeking emergency mental-health evaluation.

Parents and students urged clearer grievance handling, faster investigations and stronger consequences for verified misconduct; several speakers said they had filed grievances and appealed to TEA (Texas Education Agency) but felt the local process had not resolved their cases.

Technology-filtering testimony: Student and parent speakers also raised the district’s recent switch to a new internet filter that blocks many audio/video streaming services on district devices. One student asked the board to consider classroom-level overrides (for example GoGuardian) rather than broad blocks, and cited research on instrumental music and focus. District staff responded in the meeting that the filter change (LightSpeed) blocks some AV streaming to remain in compliance with the federal Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) but that students can still access music through approved services such as Apple Music and other FCC‑compliant audio streams.

Board action and chronology: After public comment the board entered closed session under Texas Government Code sections cited in the meeting. When the board reconvened in open session, Trustee Price moved — and the board unanimously approved — a one-year extension of the superintendent’s employment contract, effective July 31, 2025, with continued employment through July 31, 2028. The vote was recorded as unanimous in the public minutes and transcript. The board did not link that contract action in the public record to any individual public comment; the transcript shows the sequence: public comments, closed session, then the public vote to extend the superintendent contract.

What the district said it will do: Campus and district staff did not announce new procedural changes during the meeting; board members and staff acknowledged the seriousness of parental concerns and said the grievance process and campus supports would be topics for follow-up outside the public comment period.

Ending: Several speakers told the board they had withdrawn children from Denton ISD or were considering doing so. Trustees said they would continue to receive written materials and follow the district’s formal grievance and appeals processes for any cases requiring further administrative action.