HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Space Camp officials said on Friday that no allegations regarding inappropriate behavior of its counselors have been made in connection with this week's social media rumors that led to parents allegedly pulling children from camp and public comment from Alabama lawmakers.
They did, however, state that harassment and threats by social media users against their employees is continuing, and will be investigated.
The full statement from Space & Rocket Center/Space Camp officials is as follows:
We value the safety of all individuals - our students, our employees, and our guests. In the past few days, many people on our staff have received threats, some general, and some very specific. This is not okay and is a subsequent, and very serious issue that we are dealing with internally and with the appropriate authorities.
These threats have been based on some concerns raised on social media about an employee. We take allegations of any violation or breach of trust very seriously. We fairly and impartially investigate any complaint of employee misconduct or policy violations to determine the validity of allegations and to impose any corrective actions that may be justified in a timely and consistent manner.
The U.S. Space & Rocket Center would like to assure concerned parents, teachers and the public that no child has been physically harmed on our campus. In fact, no such allegation was ever raised as part of the recent social media controversy. In addition, our operation is designed with layers of protection to mitigate against single points of failure.
We are still gathering information but have been slowed down while schools are out for Spring Break and resources being diverted to deal with external safety threats. We will diligently continue with and conclude our investigation as thoroughly and expeditiously as possible.
Our communications and call center teams have been actively responding to questions and concerns raised by individuals and school groups. We have prioritized connecting with administrators of school groups with planned trips to Space Camp in the near future first and will then reach out to as many people as possible to address any additional concerns.
We will continue to regularly review and update our policies and procedures to ensure that we are providing the highest level of safety and risk prevention, as well as ensuring full compliance and oversight.
The U.S. Space & Rocket Center is and will remain an equal-opportunity employer adhering to all state and federal laws regulating hiring practices. We appreciate and want to thank our friends, colleagues, partners, and stakeholders who have supported us during this time, especially the Huntsville Police Department.