>> A LOT.
>> THE SAFETY SHOULD BE THE
FIRST MANDATE WITH CONCERN ABOUT
CONTRACTING THE VIRUS.
>> THE EYES AND EARS OF PARENTS
FROM FIXATED ON SCHOOL BOARDS,
EVERYONE HOPING THE DECISIONS
IMPACTING YOUR CHILD’S SAFETY
WOULD BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY BY THE
MEN AND WOMEN YOU ELECTED.
BUT THAT WAS NOT THE CASE AT FORT BEND ISD.
FORT BEND ISD.
WHEN IT CAME TO THE 77,000
STUDENTS AND THEIR SAFETY,
INVESTIGATORS REVEAL THE SECRET
COMMUNICATIONS AND HOW SOME
BOARD MEMBERS WERE ACTING MORE
LIKE CLASS CLOWNS.
>> GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.
>> SEPTEMBER 2, 2020, THE FORT
BEND ISD MEETING IS UNDERWAY, A
MEETING TOUTING NO SECRETS FROM
THE GET-GO.
>> ONE OF THE HALLMARKS IS
TRANSPARENCY IN DECISION-MAKING.
>> THE MEETING, ONE OF THE MOST
SIGNIFICANT IN THE DISTRICT’S
HISTORY INVOLVING THE DECISION
TO SEND KIDS BACK TO CAMPUS.
>> SAFETY OF CHILDREN, COULD
THERE BE A MORE IMPORTANT TOPIC?
>> DAVID WAS ONE OF THE PARENTS
TAKING PART, A SINGLE DAD WITH
TWO KIDS IN THE DISTRICT.
HE RUNS THE GROUP PARENTS
ASSOCIATION.
>> WE HOPE TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT
THEY WILL ELEVEN.
>> AND HE EMPHASIZED TRANSPAIRS
SEE ON THAT NIGHT?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> KPRC2 INVESTIGATES, WHAT THEY
HEARD THAT NIGHT LEFT PARENTS
BOILING, CRACKING PRIVATE JOKES,
LAUGHING UNCONTROLLABLY, SOME OF
THEM FINDING IT HARD TO FOCUSES.
>> MR. ROSENTHAL IS NOT THE ONLY
ONE WHO READS CDC GUIDELINES AND
I --
[LAUGHTER]
-- I WAS ALSO, UM -- WOW, IT IS
HARD TO STAY CONCENTRATING.
>> Reporter: AND THEN THERE IS
THE DISTRACTIONS YOU CAN’T SEE
ON VIDEO.
WE UNCOVERED THEM THROUGH FULL
RECORDS, JOKES DELIVERED VIA A
TEXT MESSAGE THREAD INCLUDING
ALL BOARD MEMBERS AND THE
SUPERINTENDENT.
WE OBTAINED THEM THROUGH A TEXAS
PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST.
THE BOARD PRESIDENT WRITING
CHARLES IS TRYING TO STAY
FOCUSED AND WE’RE ALL FOOLING
AROUND, LOL.
CHARLES IS THE DISTRICT’S
SUPERINTENDENT.
THEN BOARD PRESIDENT JASON
TEXTING BACK, FOCUS, CHARLES.
THEN LATER FORMER BOARD MEMBER
CHRIS TEXTS OSCAR WENT TO SLEEP,
REFERRING TO OSCAR PEREZ, THE
DISTRICT CHIEF OPERATION
OFFICER.
THERE WAS ONE RESPONSE -- LOL.
>> WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES
LIVES AT STAKE, LOL.
THAT IS NICE.
IT IS DISGUSTING.
>> THE SUPERINTENDENT WAS IN ON
THE GROUP TEXT AS WELL, TALKING
ABOUT SHUTTING DOWN THE VIRTUAL
MESSAGE BOARD FOR PARENTS.
ONE CHIMED IN CALLING THE
MESSAGE BOARD NOISE.
WHAT YOU ARE SEEING IS A
FRACTION OF THE MESSAGES.
THAT IS BECAUSE THE DISTRICT WANTS TO KEEP THE REST SECRET,
WANTS TO KEEP THE REST SECRET,
FIGHTING US ALL THE WAY TO THE
ATTORNEY GENERAL.
>> WHY IS THERE SO MUCH BLACKED
OUT?
>> THE LAWYERS AND LEADERS
REFUSED TO LET US SEE
EVERYTHING.
>> I AM WONDERING WHAT ARE THEY
SAYING THEY WANT TO HIDE?
I HOPE IT IS NOT MAKING FUN OF PARENTS.
PARENTS. >> WE CAUGHT UP WITH D
distric
DUPREE?
>> WHY WAS THE BOARD TEXTING AND
MESSING AROUND IN ONE OF THE
IMPORTANT MEETINGS IN THE BOARD
HISTORY?
>> I THINK YOU HAVE TO ASK THE
BOARD MEMBERS.
>> CHARLES IS TRYING TO STAY
FOCUSED AND YOU ARE FOOLING
AROUND, LOL.
WHAT WAS SO FUNNY ABOUT THAT
MEETING?
>> ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FUNNY
ABOUT THAT.
>> THE TEXT MESSAGE SAYS YOU
WERE FOOLING AROUND --
>> THOSE ARE MEMBERS NO LONGER
ON THIS BOARD --
>> YOU WERE THE PRESIDENT, YOU
WERE TEXTING IT.
>> I AM FOCUSED TODAY ON
VACCINATIONS --
>> THIS IS EDUCATION.
WHAT GRADE DO YOU GIVE THE
SUPERINTENDENT AND THE SCHOOL
BOARD FOR THEIR TRANSPARENCY AS
WELL AS THEIR BEHAVIOR.
>> WELL, THAT IS AN EASY ONE.
DO THE MATH.
>> THE DISTRICT’S LAWYERS CLAIM
ALL THE BLACKOUTS CONTAINED
SUBJECT MATTERS UNRELATED TO
DISTRICT BUSINESS.
ASIDE FROM TEXTING JOKES, BOARD
MEMBERS WERE ALSO DOING PERSONAL
BUSINESS, NOT CONNECTED TO THAT
MEETING.
NOW, WE WANT TO HEAR FROM THE
FORT BEND ISD PARENTS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
E-MAIL US YOUR THOUGHTS AT THE
ADDRESS ON YOUR SCREEN.
ALSO IN THE INVESTIGATE SECTION
OF CLICK 2 HOUSTON.COM, WE WILL
SPRAIN THE COMPLETE FIGHT FOR
THE RECORDS THAT FORT BEND ISD
IS KEEPING SECRET FROM THE
PUBLIC.
TOMORROW AT SIX, PART 2, WE WILL
SPEAK TO THE SUPERINTENDENT ONCE
AGAIN AND THIS TIME HE SEEKS US
OUT.
>> WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR ALL OF
THESE BLACKED-OUT RECORDS?
THE ANSWER TOMORROW AT SIX.
BACK TO YOU.
>> WE’RE ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO