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COMAL ISD official: Investigation ongoing after Hill Country College Preparatory incident
Summary
A COMAL ISD official said the district is coordinating with the Comal County Sheriff's Office on an active investigation at Hill Country College Preparatory High School, will not release the identities of a teacher or student because of privacy laws and the ongoing probe, and will form a community Safety and Security Task Force.
A COMAL ISD official said the district is working with the Comal County Sheriff's Office as an investigation continues into an incident at Hill Country College Preparatory High School and that the district will not release identifying information about a teacher or a student.
“This remains an active law enforcement investigation under the authority of the Comal County Sheriff's Office, and we will continue to work closely with their team,” the COMAL ISD official said, adding that because of the ongoing investigation there are details the district cannot share.
The official said the district will not release the teacher’s name, citing privacy protections in the employee’s personnel file, and confirmed the teacher is recovering. “Regarding the teacher, we are not releasing her name, and we will not do so at this time. She has specific privacy protections in place under her employment file, and we are honoring those. What I can tell you is that she continues to recover, and she is surrounded by the love of this community every single day,” the official said.
On student privacy, the official cited federal law: “Federal law, specific FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, provides a privacy protection for students at the elementary and secondary [levels] that do not expire upon the death of a minor. Those rights rest with the students' parents. We are bound by that law,” the official said.
The district also said support services remain available to those affected. “For our students, staff, and families who are still processing what happened, counseling services continue to be available, and we will be sharing information separately with the affected families about the continued opportunities for support next week,” the official said.
Responding to community questions, the official announced a new advisory effort: “In the coming days, I will be sharing details about COMAL ISD Safety and Security Task Force that will be made up of parents, staff, and community members who live within our district boundaries. This will be a community-driven series of meetings that will gather input, examine our current practices, and provide meaningful recommendations to our district safety and security committee to inform their ongoing work. This is not a short-term fix. This is a long-term commitment. We will share more details soon, including how you can apply to be a part of it,” the official said.
The COMAL ISD official closed by thanking the community for patience and trust as the district continues to coordinate with law enforcement and provide support services.
The district did not provide a timeline for releasing additional details beyond the announcement that affected families will receive separate information next week and that task force application details will be shared in the coming days.
