In a move appearing in direct contravention of first amendment rights, a mother claims a public middle school in Texas tried to make her sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) in order to be on campus.
When Amber Longacre tried to visit Kitty Hawk Middle School Aug. 15 in the San Antonio area, the parent was approached by several school staffers who wanted her to sign an NDA — a legal document which prevents sensitive information from being shared — which is normally reserved for private employers who want to prevent leaks.
Longacre immediately became suspicious as to why a taxpayer-funded public building would curb free speech.
“There is no way to know how many parents signed the NDA without asking any questions,” Longacre told The Post in a statement.
“I shared my story because I want to encourage other parents to speak up when something seems off.
Several campus staffers, including the school resource officer, would not allow Longacre to enter the school to discuss the NDA even though classes were not in session, Longacre’s lawyer told The Post.
“They were like, ‘Just sign it. What’s the big deal. Just sign it,'” attorney Janelle Davis told The Post Thursday.
The mom later met with Assistant Superintendent of Operations Joseph Guidry, according to the Daily Caller, who posted a video recording of the conversation made by Longacre.
In the video Guidry could not explain why Longacre was being asked to enter into an NDA and why the document appeared at visitor check-in kiosks at the administration building.
“It’s hard to understand why a school district would require students’ parents to sign this NDA as a condition to enter the school,” Aaron Terr, Director of Public Advocacy at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression told the outlet.
“Judson Independent School District cannot broadly prohibit parents from discussing issues of information related to the school.”
After hiring a lawyer, the school district informed the middle school parent that the NDA was removed as a check-in requirement on August 22 — claiming it was a default document within the district’s visitor system.
“I am grateful that Judson ISD recognized the error and removed the non-disclosure agreement from their visitor management system, and look forward to a good school year,” Longacre stated.
Longacre had been prepared to sue, but Davis explained they were no longer seeking legal action since the school district removed the NDA and agreed to revoke previous NDAs signed by parents.
The school district did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.
