PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — The long-time Superintendent of Prince William County Schools is under investigation for alleged inappropriate conversations with students on social media.
On Thursday, Dr. Steve Walts announced to his 31,000 Twitter followers that he is temporarily suspending the Twitter account during the investigation, while also defending himself against the allegations.
"As part of their attacks they have chosen to smear and slander me for political purposes," Dr. Walts said on his Twitter video. "I will not allow children in PWCS to be used as political pawns for those who want to damage me during my contract renewal period."
Guy Morgan said he was on the Dr. Walts’ Twitter page and spotted pictures of the Superintendent posing with female students that he felt were inappropriate. So, he started digging. Morgan filed Freedom of Information Acts with the school system and obtained direct messages between the Superintendent and some student twitter handles.
"One that was particularly concerning was Dr. Walts and his interactions with a 14-year-old girl late at night at her home," Morgan said.
Subsequently, Morgan filed official complaints against the Superintendent.
As a result, the Prince William County School Board hired an outside firm to look into Dr. Walts’ Twitter account. The board released a statement that said:
"The Prince William County School Board, its members and staff may not discuss individual personnel matters, per School Board policy and regulation, and related Virginia law. Any complaints which are asserted against PWCS employees are taken seriously, regardless of their source, and are addressed under the procedures provided in applicable School Board policies and regulations. The School Board is aware of the allegations recently asserted against the Division Superintendent. In response to the filing of these complaints, early last month the School Board retained an independent outside firm to conduct an external review of Dr. Walts’ official twitter account to determine the validity of the allegations and provide the Board with a confidential report."
"Parents of daughters and sons have the right to know if Dr. Walts has been communicating with their children late at night, in a way that many would consider very inappropriate," Morgan said.
Dr. Walts has been the Superintendent for 15 years. He will remain on the job during the investigation.