A family reported their 5-year-old was touched inappropriately, and the principal is heard saying ‘when parents are crazy’

Tomball Independent School District in Texas placed a Grand Oaks Elementary principal on administrative leave after a voicemail captured her private remarks about parents, according to FOX 26 Houston. Principal Heather Myers had left the message about a Title IX meeting. The girl’s parents had reported on Sept. 25 that another student touched their 5-year-old daughter inappropriately in class.

The recording kept running after Myers believed the call had ended, and she is heard talking with colleagues. She says her “sympathetic voice kind of goes away when parents are crazy.” The family says the remarks, together with the principal’s role in the campus’s first investigation, raised concerns about objectivity and student safety.

Molly Rucker, the girl’s mother, said, “It’s really hard to have trust in the system and the teachers.” Pablo Rucker, her father, said, “My daughter came to y’all with something that happened to her in good faith that y’all were going to do your job.” He added, “I just wanted my daughter to feel safe, and with the current administration, I don’t feel like she’s safe or any parent’s child is actually safe under her care.”

Tomball ISD says the campus began investigating the same day

In a letter to Grand Oaks families on Monday, Sept. 28, the district said it is handling two issues: a student welfare concern and a personnel matter. It said the campus “acted swiftly and immediately launched an investigation and reported findings of the investigation on the same day.” The district did not share details of the findings, citing confidentiality for student matters.

The letter called the principal’s comments “unprofessional” and said they “do not reflect the professional standards we expect of our staff.” Myers remains on leave while the district investigates, and the Pct. 4 Constables Department will have an increased presence at the campus. The outlet did not report whether police or child protective services were notified.

Tomball ISD lists Title IX information among its required public postings, which include contact information for the district’s Title IX coordinator. Title IX is the federal law that bars sex discrimination in education programs that receive federal funding. Myers joined the district this school year, according to the Tomball ISD website. She has more than 16 years of experience in education and most recently served as principal of Wayne C. Schultz Junior High in Waller ISD.

The family says their daughter is out of school while counseling services are arranged. They do not plan to send her back to the campus under its current leadership. Representatives from the People’s Choice Association went with the family to a Title IX meeting and questioned whether campus-level investigations are enough for serious safety concerns. They asked the district to review its procedures. An associate superintendent apologized to the family on behalf of the district.