PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — Editor's Note: A previous version of this story did not include comment from QTS or 7x24 Exchange DC Chapter. This story has been significantly updated to reflect statements from both organizations.
The distribution of a pro data center flyer at a recent event to address food insecurity among students in Prince William County Schools has whipped up controversy regarding the intention behind the flyers.
For months, data center projects within Prince William County have been at the center of several meetings with hours-long debates and have become a hot-button political issue. Everything from sound levels and health issues to the impact on the environment and national landmarks has been discussed.
While it is known that flyers advocating for data centers were included in boxes of donated food sent to PWCS for distribution, what is unclear is who was and wasn't aware of the flyer's presence in the donations as the parties involved have given conflicting statements.
As part of an event known as "Backpack Coalition's Pack Night" on April 14, items were collected to create weekend meal bags to be given to students facing food insecurity. The event was organized by the Loudoun Education Foundation and the 7x24 Exchange DC Chapter, a nonprofit data center industry association run by volunteers. SPARK, the education foundation for PWCS, was included as a beneficiary of the program.
WUSA9 first came to be aware of the flyer after a now-deleted post on Facebook surfaced. The poster claimed to be a PWCS teacher at a Title 1 school and said they had come across the flyers when sorting through food donations for their students. They wrote that the flyers came with a handwritten "inspirational note" signed by QTS data centers, one of the two developers behind the Prince William Digital Gateway.
The flyer, printed in English and Spanish, answered questions ranging from "what is a data center?" to "how can you or your student be a part of the data center industry?"
"Data center companies contribute to the community by providing funding to nonprofits, donating time through volunteering and sourcing other donations like food or clothing," the flyer reads. "The data center industry is looking to hire you or your student!"
The flyer was designed and printed by 7x24, according to a D.C. chapter representative. It includes the logos of 7x24, SPARK and Backpack Coalition.
"The 7x24 Exchange DC Chapter has been providing meal bags with inspirational notes (since 2021) and educational flyers (since 2022) for underprivileged students in Loudoun County and this year, the Committee decided to expand that effort to help underprivileged students in Prince William County as well," a 7x24 Exchange DC Chapter representative wrote in a statement to WUSA9. "In that vein, the 7x24 Exchange DC Chapter contacted Supporting Partnerships and Resources for Kids (SPARK), and they agreed to receive meal bags and funds for Prince William County families."
The 7x24 representative also said that conversations were had with SPARK via email regarding the inclusion of their logo on marketing materials in February when the logo was requested, and again in March on a Teams call to introduce the flyer and its purpose.
The representative for 7x24 provided email correspondence in February between a volunteer employed by QTS, and using a QTS email address, writing to a SPARK employee to discuss use of their logo.
In the email, the 7X24 volunteer discusses using the logo for LinkedIn and website announcements of Pack Night, blank notecards to write inspirational notes to the kids, posters announcing the event for industry partners to share, email announcements to 7x24 members, stickers for the cardboard bins for food donations and LinkedIn announcements after the event sharing the outcome.
SPARK says that they only agreed to receive the donated items, and for their logo to be used on the inspirational notes to students.
"SPARK did not agree to the use of their logo on any data center promotional materials," Prince William County Schools Spokesperson Diana Gulotta wrote to WUSA9. "The data center promotional flyer spotlighted by a community member was not reviewed or approved by PWCS or the PWCS education foundation. PWCS believed the source to be QTS data centers. PWCS has asked 7x24 Exchange for a statement as to the source and an apology for the unauthorized use of the PWCS education foundation logo. Currently, PWCS has not received any statement."
QTS denies having any connection to the flyer, or the event where it was distributed.
"QTS Data Centers had no involvement with the Prince William County food bank event," QTS spokesperson Nick Desarno told WUSA9.