An employee of Leander Independent School District has been arrested on allegations of child indecency, Cedar Park Police Department reports. Steven Wade Lackey, a 70-year-old bus monitor, faces two counts of indecency with a child, having been booked into Williamson County Jail on October 14, as mentioned in a CBS Austin release.
A statement by Cedar Park police on social media detailed that after receiving the report on October 8, the Special Victims Unit was promptly assigned the case, initiating the investigation that led to Lackey's arrest. While Lackey's attorneys' information was unavailable at report time, the investigation is reported as ongoing by KXAN.
Details about the incident surfaced when Leander ISD provided insights into the case. On October 9, not long after the allegations came to light, the LISD Police Department reviewed evidence that suggested "potential inappropriate conduct" by Lackey on a district bus. Revealed in a letter to parents and shared by CBS Austin, the findings "indicated serious violations of district policy," leading to Lackey's termination on October 10.
Leander ISD's commitment to maintaining a high standard of conduct for all employees has been emphasized in the wake of the incident. "Leander ISD holds all employees to the highest standards of conduct and accountability," the district wrote in a correspondence to parents, as quoted in CBS Austin's article. Along with counseling support, the district has undertaken measures to ensure the continuation of transportation services without the implicated employee.
In response to the arrest, a spokesperson for Leander ISD conveyed their awareness and remarked that the district had shared emails on Friday and Tuesday with families of students who were on Lackey's former bus route. KXAN quoted the Friday email from the transportation director, stating, "Our initial findings were enough to indicate serious violations of district policy. The bus monitor was terminated Friday morning."
