Chief explains constraints he and school face with privacy laws

You always know it’s going to be a rough day whenever it begins with an urgent call from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, saying you need to return their call first thing Wednesday.

But that’s precisely how Interim Moulton Police Chief Daniel Beyer’s Wednesday got going. On Sept. 7, the Lavaca County dispatcher received the initial call from the FBI. The caller prompted the dispatcher to notify the Moulton Police Department, and based on what they knew right then and, in the interests of as much transparency as possible, reported that there was a potential threat at the school.

Within minutes, Beyer had officers on location, actively assessing the situation and reporting to him at every step. The investigation  “... revealed that there was no direct threat to the school, and the department took measures we felt were appropriate at the time,” Beyer said.

“Law enforcement had the situation under control, and if we thought our students were in any kind of danger, we would have taken the appropriate steps,” he added. “We didn’t need to over-react, but we didn’t want to under-react, either. The last thing we want to do is panic anyone within the school or community.”

Unfortunately, the chief added, both he and the school are extremely limited on what they can and can’t share in these situations. 

“We understand parents are upset with our communications, but there were no criminal charges since there was no actual threat. Our hands at that point were tied as far as what information could be released about the individual involved.

“We must abide by HIPAA laws and respect the privacy of individuals,” said Beyer, who in addition to serving his fourth stint as Moulton’s Chief of Police also serves as president of Moulton’s ISD’s board of directors. “We had no actual threat made to the school by this individual, so no criminal charges could be filed. Therefore, no personal information regarding this individual, nor specifics about what happened, could be released.

“I notified Dr. Fairchild of the situation, and Dr. Fairchild immediately contacted the school’s attorney. The attorney advised her on what wording she could use to communicate with parents without violating any privacy laws,” he said.

“This whole situation has been a learning experience, and I pray we are never in a situation like this again. Living in the world we do, though, there are no guarantees. That said, we ask that parents, grandparents, students and the community trust our department to protect our kids,” Chief Beyer said. 

“If there was an actual threat to our school, I would be the first one in the door to protect our children,” he said. “The police department, Dr. Fairchild, and her staff are working together on even more security at the school and taking the appropriate measures to provide the safest environment for our students and staff at Moulton ISD.”