Fort Worth Independent School District apologizes for obscene interruption, investigating how it happened
Fort Worth, Texas school district sex-ed committee meeting interrupted by porn
A meeting of the Fort Worth Independent School District School Health Advisory Council was interrupted when someone who had dialed into the meeting Zoom started playing pornography, FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth reports.
The Fort Worth Independent School District in Texas is investigating how pornography interrupted a School Health Advisory Council meeting Monday night.
"Regrettably, some attendees during the online meeting displayed inappropriate content on their screens instead of identifying themselves or using a blank screen," a statement posted to the council's website said.
The district apologized for any "discomfort or offense" it may have caused to those who attended the meeting virtually and in person.
"This is what our kids are watching in school," one parent yelled during the meeting, according to the Fort Worth Report.
"This is disgusting! Stop forcing us to watch this," another parent reportedly screamed.
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Minutes from the Forth Worth ISD School Health Advisory Council meeting on Jan. 22, 2024, say the "hacking" occurred around 5:50 p.m. (Provided by KDFW)
The council consists of 21 district staff, parents and community members, according to its website, where Zoom links are included under past meeting dates. It makes state-mandated recommendations to the school board, ranging from topics such as mental health to sex education strategies, FOX 4 reports.
"My question from that is what’s happening when our students are on technology?" Fort Worth ISD teacher Meredith Bowman, who was in the meeting Monday, asked a crew from the TV station. "It was actually appalling."
The council was discussing potential new sex-education curriculum for students at the time of the pornography "hacking." (Provided to KDFW by @Carlos_Turcios)
The meeting was the fifth of the school year for SHAC. Minutes posted to the council's website say the "hacking of the Zoom meeting" occurred at approximately 5:50 p.m., while members were discussing the district's new potential sex-ed curriculum.
Fort Worth ISD said they are investigating the incident. (KDFW)
Fort Worth ISD is not offering sex education this year after Superintendent Angélica M. Ramsey announced the district had pulled its HealthSmart curriculum following pushback from parents who did not like the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity topics, the Fort-Worth Star Telegram reported.
If whoever is responsible is identified, criminal charges could be filed.
