Dear KAR Family,
The following is a brief and factual response surrounding an incident that occurred this past weekend. The most current information is as follows:
The former employee who was charged with Use of a Concealed Camera at the Cypress Competition is still in custody. We are shocked to learn about the events that transpired and have been fully cooperative with the authorities in this matter. As per the official press release from the Cypress Police Department and Orange County District Attorney, we are thankful and relieved to report that the pictures and videos recovered by authorities at his home ‘were NOT related to the girls from the dance production company.’
We did not release a statement immediately following the arrest only because we wanted to be accurate and responsible in our communication as proper investigations take time.
There are many concerns amongst parents, teachers, studio owners, etc spanning from prior convictions to what are we going to do in the future so this doesn’t happen again. In an effort to answer the questions to such a wide audience, we’d like to share the following:
The former employee had no prior convictions
The former employee had a clean personnel file
For the past 48 hours our organization’s entire focus has been on how can we, not only as an organization, but as an industry protect ourselves? The discussion has been thorough and intense! As we run through various scenarios, we begin to realize that NOT only could it happen to ANY competition, BUT it could happen at any dance studio as well (ex. recitals, community performances, open houses). This is a serious issue that needs the input and support of US ALL!!!!! We’ve had the pleasure of speaking with many competition owners, clients and parents over the past few days and have received valuable input and details on how some organizations have handled similar situations like this in the past.
In an effort to create a successful action plan, we need YOUR help! Please send your thoughts, suggestions and/or personal related experiences to karcares@dancekar.com!
We look forward to hearing from you and thank you for your support!
Sincerely,
Kids Artistic Revue