After a thorough review of allegations made recently over social media against a Space Camp employee, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center has concluded its investigation and taken necessary steps to move forward.
HUNTSVILLE, Ala., March 29, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- After a thorough review of allegations made recently over social media against a Space Camp employee, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center has concluded its investigation and taken necessary steps to move forward. We approached this situation with grave concern and extreme diligence. The results of our investigation revealed the following:
- There is no evidence of inappropriate behavior or malfeasance between any Space Camp staff and student campers.
- At no time were staff present in campers' bathrooms. Our policies and our facilities are designed to create spaces where campers may dress, shower, and use the restroom in private.
- We have received differing accounts on whether an employee spoke to campers on subjects that are prohibited, such as disclosing personal details, religious, or political points of view. We have added a section to our camper and parent evaluations to better capture and address any potential violations quickly.
- All other policy violations that were the subject of the investigation have been addressed as an internal personnel matter and include transferring the employee in question to another job at the Center.
The U.S. Space & Rocket Center adheres to all state and federal laws regulating hiring practices. Our camp staff undergo extensive nationwide criminal background checks which include state, county, and municipal court-level information, Department of Corrections data, state sex offender registries from across the country, and multi-panel drug tests. We are an apolitical organization with no social agenda. Our singular mission is to inspire and educate.
Under our employee code of conduct, it is the expectation that Space Camp staff act as ambassadors for the Space & Rocket Center, both on and off site. Campers also commit to a code of conduct while they are at Space Camp. Together, camper and staff codes of conduct work in concert to ensure a safe learning environment with clear boundaries where camper privacy is respected, and the camp experience focuses on our mission.
We are recommitting to ensuring all our policies are understood and enforced so that we can continue to provide a safe and friendly environment for campers who come from all 50 states and more than 70 countries each year. We remain focused on our mission and strive to maintain our position as the global leader for STEM education.
About the U.S. Space & Rocket Center
The U.S. Space & Rocket Center, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is home to Space Camp®, Space Camp® Robotics, Aviation Challenge®, U.S. Cyber Camp®, the Space Camp Institute® and the world-class INTUITIVE® Planetarium. The Rocket Center has on display significant artifacts, including the Apollo 16 capsule and the National Historic Landmark Saturn V rocket. It is the Official Visitor Center for NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and a showcase for national defense technologies developed at the U.S. Army's Redstone Arsenal.
To learn more about the exciting programs and activities at the USSRC, visit rocketcenter.com.
Media Contact
Pat Ammons, U.S. Space & Rocket Center, 1 256-721-5429, [email protected] , https://www.rocketcenter.com/
SOURCE U.S. Space & Rocket Center
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