Updated: Two trained police dogs signaled to their handler that drugs were present in a teacher’s vehicle parked at Kempner High School on Jan. 13, but police were ordered not to search the car, FortBendNow has learned.
Fort Bend Independent School District issued a statement Wednesday saying district officials “received conflicting reports” about the K-9 unit’s search.
“After an internal review of the circumstances, the district learned that there was probable cause to search an employee vehicle, not a student vehicle,” the district said, in a statement released by Director of Communications Nancy Porter. “The district did not search the vehicle; however, we understand that the vehicle was subject to a subsequent search, and to the district’s knowledge, no contraband was found.”
While FBISD officials didn’t say why a search was not conducted, sources familiar with the case said a K-9 officer on the scene was prepared to conduct a search of a teacher’s vehicle when he received a direct order from his superior officers not to do so, and to leave the parking lot. Those sources say the order originated from the FBISD administration.
According to information obtained by FortBendNow, the incident began Jan. 12, when a parking attendant at Kempner High smelled an odor of marijuana coming from an SUV in the teacher’s lot.
The next day, the attendant saw the same SUV, noticed the ordor again, found it belonged to a teacher at the school, and alerted the FBISD Police Department’s K-9 officer.
The officer brought two police dogs. Sources familiar with the case say both dogs alerted twice to the possible presence of drugs in the SUV.
At that point, the K-9 officer notified a Kempner associate principal of what he had learned. Shortly thereafter, the sources said, the officer was told to drop the matter. Sources familiar with the case said the order to back off came down the chain of command from the department’s police chief, who received it from a district administrator.
A spokesman for the Sugar Land Police Department said their Special Crimes Unit received a request after the incident, from an FBISD police officer, “to make a traffic stop” of a specific vehicle. “Information was of the possibility of narcotics in the vehicle,” the spokesman said. The vehicle was stopped, “nothing was found and no arrests were made.”
“Given the ongoing legal debate concerning the validity of employee vehicle searches, the district is reviewing its policies and procedures,” the statement from the FBISD administration said.
The associate principal did not return a call seeking comment for this story.
Administration officials weren’t immediately available Wednesday morning for comment or elaboration on the statement the district released.
But while administrators review their policy toward employee vehicle searches, the district continues to use police drug dogs in random searches of student parking lots at the district’s high schools.
Meanwhile, police at Houston ISD have arrested at least 16 employees – mostly teachers, on drug charges since late last year, and HISD Superintendent Abelardo Saavedra announced plans to use police dogs to search teacher parking lots in all of that district’s schools.
(See related story: FBISD: Police Were Pulled From Drug Search Of Teacher’s SUV Due To ‘No Workplace Misconduct’.)
Please stop “twisting words” #13. Emotions are not facts, thus that is all you have to present? It would have been nice to provide the stance on behalf of the FBISD Police &/or BOTS, thus how long did it take to produce that fact to help aide in the discussion? Emotions are running “high” obviously– therefore it would be more pleasing should you “cease & desist” with twisting words around to portray them as if that is what is read.
The K-9′s deserve better too….
OH… One last thing… Are they not running background checks and drug test when these people are hired??? Heck, they do that for you to be hired at Taco bell.. I would ASSUME that they would be doing this for TEACHERS that are around our children… You would think they would be keeping an eye on this now that 16 people, including teachers, have been arrested for drugs..
I agree with 14… Didn’t they make the stop in front of the school making a HUGE scene in front of all the students!!! And they found NOTHING… When is administration going to step up for their actions or lack of???
“After an internal review of the circumstances, the district learned that there was probable cause to search an employee vehicle, not a student vehicle,” the district said, in a statement released by Director of Communications Nancy Porter. “The district did not search the vehicle; however, we understand that the vehicle was subject to a subsequent search, and to the district’s knowledge, no contraband was found.”
Again… All was done after the fact and now they are saying the teacher had time to dispose of the drugs… UH, lets say they are trying to make right of the late check and making a scene.. Good job FBISD…
“A spokesman for the Sugar Land Police Department said their Special Crimes Unit received a request after the incident, from an FBISD police officer, “to make a traffic stop” of a specific vehicle. “Information was of the possibility of narcotics in the vehicle,” the spokesman said. The vehicle was stopped, “nothing was found and no arrests were made.”
sounds like someone used the SLPD to harrass this individual. Welcome to “change” in America…..
On the subject of this thread, I concur with your commentary Kampf.
Regarding #11—– Dissent as an act of patriotism speaks to what’s within my commentary #10 as stated. Since I have one pseudonym, Bob’s rules regarding multiple pseudonyms does not have anything to do with me so it is not my place or my business to comment on Bob’s rules regarding multiple pseudonyms or to assume his role and over step my boundaries to chastise others regarding Bob’s Rules, even the use of multiple pseudonyms. Bob already revisited the Blog’s Rules on another thread and to continue to repeat what Bob has already made clear in another, now, closed thread is indeed off topic in this thread. The End.
“Bob’s admonition on another thread for bloggers to adhere to the rules had nothing to do with not presenting facts in commentary.”
Not anywhere close to what I, nor Bob ever said…#10
It appears “patriotic dissent” is “in your face” denial to thus encourage dual blogging in multiple pseudonyms? Which leads me into the observance that you both appear absent on the thread that Bob wrote — wishing us all a “happy new websiteyear”, it included our new format.
In returning to this editorial, as it relates to FBISD, I have to wonder again if anyone is familiar with the National H.O.P.E. Award? It is my understanding there are some FortBendNow readers who are familiar with FBISD Administrative protocol?
Everyone please have a wonderfully warm evening– it’s time to kiss my boys a sweet night.
There is a distinctive difference regarding what is amicable and what is factual. If wrong doing is occurring, it is simplistic to assert that presentation of facts should be avoided due to not being amicable. Bob’s admonition on another thread for bloggers to adhere to the rules had nothing to do with not presenting facts in commentary. Dissent is patriotic. Without dissent, democracy cannot live up to its full intent. The fact that FBISD is being careful to ensure that rules/procedures are appropriately followed is a step in the right direction and dissent helps individuals as well as entities become introspective for the greater good. History has taught us this truth.
Seriously???? This is completely taken out of context… Complete hear-say… For the fact that they are making such a scene of this is AWFUL!!! This is almost as bad as starting a rumor about a teacher sleeping with a student!!!! Where is the support for the teacher from the Administration!!!! Great way to show ALL of the faculty that they have the support from the school when something like this happens… Something that has NO EVIDENCE…. Let’s just say this – Defamation of Character
“The term defamation of character is often used to describe accusations of slander, libel or both. Slander involves verbal derogatory statements, while libel involves written ones. In a court of law, the plaintiff pursuing the lawsuit would charge defamation of character to cover any form of false or damaging allegations.”
This accusing someone of this could totally hurt a teacher’s career… If this was true at all, the teacher would have been arrested at the scene and would not be allowed back on the property… Now it’s just complete BS!!! There are law suites out there over stuff like this.. The school should have the teacher take a drug test and then issue a statement instead of causing such a big scene about it… Nice way to run a school… If this was at a company, let just say people we be getting fired for making accusations with out supporting them OR for letting the company’s (aka school’s) name be linked to something like this without taking action..
Where’s the proof? The parking lot guard’s nose?
For those parents who have kids at KHS, you all better speak up about this incident if there is an ounce of suspension that an employee is getting high before/during/after school.
Ambiguity compromises. Too, what is unclear here– appears to be the rationale behind exercising dominance over the FortBendNow governing rules? Certainly, it begs the question, what served such a purpose, if one is to encourage positive results favoring everyone’s participation to productively communicate? It’s mind “blog-alling” for sure.
“Looks like the administration was attempting to avoid embarrassment in the media.” ~ Kampf
Reflections, once again immediately hone in on the prior FBISD thread as detailed in my 11:52 AM.
Fostering amicable solutions, within our own FortBendNow rules and regulations were indeed explicit as well –that’s a FACT.
IMO just the act of having drug dogs sniff around cars is in itself a non probable cause search.
“Given the ongoing legal debate concerning the validity of employee vehicle searches, the district is reviewing its policies and procedures,” ~ FBISD Administration
Essentially, I feel compelled more now than ever, in applying my initial stance relative to “amicable” commentary “presentations”; initially supported on a prior thread involving FBISD Police.
Reflections to envisioning statements suggesting — for example an opinion in effect:
“Although, many thought the escape to the burbs as if it was going to be a heavenly promise land [...]” seemingly appears subjective. Thus, how can there be amicable opinions to support that stance, if all intentional hopes to “venture into the facts” are indeed mute.
In this latest search for adventure into the facts — once again, FBISD allegedly appears targeted, and thus becomes forced to reflect upon it’s own “value system via recommendations to change (FBISD’s) governing procedures” as I outlined in the prior thread.
Meanwhile, HISD K-9s keep searching too ….
Looks like the administration was attempting to avoid embarrassment in the media. Thank goodness that officer contacted the city police and did the right thing. Hopefully he won’t lose his job for doing the right thing.
“Administration officials weren’t immediately available Wednesday morning for comment or elaboration on the statement the district released.”
Someone please tell the spokesman marijuana is not a narcotic.