KATY (Covering Katy) – One full week after a gang-related beating on the
campus of T.H. McDonald Junior High School, parents have been notified about the incident
involving as many as 10 students. A letter was sent to parents from the school’s principal
Monday morning after Covering Katy broke the story Saturday using anonymous sources that
we fully vetted for accuracy.
Following publication of our story, Covering Katy was accused of making
up the story by school district apologists. The comments were vile and some were
threatening.
It is a serious decision for a news organization to use anonymous
sources. We did so because our sources were believable and we knew central administrators
would never tell us the truth if we waited for them to respond. In fact, the district’s
communication department still has not responded to our request for comment on this
important story. Even now we have more information than we’ve reported so far, but are
cautiously working to confirm every detail.
This situation confirms suspicions of many parents that the Katy ISD
school board tolerates a culture of secrecy at the central administrative offices. Don’t
let anyone put the blame for this lack of communication on the principal of McDonald
Junior High. Before he sends a letter to parents confirming gang activity on campus, he
has to get approval from the superintendent’s office, and clearly that approval did not
come until Covering Katy informed parents first. We will soon have the official police
report, so the administration had to come clean.
Until Covering Katy started reporting on this type of behavior,
intimidation in Katy worked. Look around, EVERY other media outlet in town is either
afraid to report the truth, or mistakenly believes that supporting bad behavior will help
them financially. District protectors run a widespread intimidation machine, which was
partially on display for the world to see over the weekend. The vilest comments came in
private messages to a private Facebook account.
To this day there are well known Katy organizations that send press
releases to every other media outlet in greater Houston, but not to Covering Katy. We are
outwardly attacked by the intimidation machine and subtlety punished by those who believe
it’s in their best interest to keep the truth from being reported. When those tactics
fail, they get a sponsor to put pressure on us, but we haven’t buckled, and we won’t.
That’s why we have the largest audience of any media outlet in Katy. People come where
they can get real, truthful news.
Below is the letter that was released to McDonald Junior High School
parents this morning. It’s the letter that should have been released a week ago.
September 28, 2015
Dear McDonald Junior High Parents/Guardians and Staff,
On Monday, September 21, 2015, McDonald Junior High staff was made aware
of a physical altercation that occurred in the boy’s restroom involving approximately 10
male students. An investigation by Katy ISD police is still pending. However, at this
time, it is believed that one individual voluntarily agreed to be physically assaulted by
the other students involved, as part of a gang-related activity.
No arrests have been made regarding this incident, however, all of the
students involved have received disciplinary action and were suspended for three days in
accordance with the District’s Disciplinary Management Plan. Six of the 10 students were
also referred to the Opportunity Awareness Center, a Katy ISD discipline alternative
campus.
Please know that this behavior is not reflective of McDonald Junior High
standards, and such incidents are taken very seriously. The safety of our students and
staff is top priority, and we will continue to work to ensure a safe learning environment
for all students. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact
the school.
Dr. Kenneth Cummings
Principal, McDonald Junior High