Mom Says School District Lawyers Questioned Students Without Consent

District says interviews were part of internal investigation and followed policy

BAY CITY, Mich - A Michigan mother alleges her child was pulled from class and questioned by attorneys hired by a school district without her knowledge or consent, raising broader concerns about transparency, parental rights, and how schools conduct internal investigations.

Melissa Gary says her daughter was interviewed in October by attorneys representing the Bangor Township School District as part of an internal investigation involving a district employee. Gary says she was not notified before the interview occurred and only learned about it after the questioning had already taken place.

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According to Gary, her daughter and another student were taken out of class during the school day and questioned by what the district later described as an independent investigator. Gary says she did not give permission for her child to be interviewed and was not informed beforehand that attorneys would be involved.

Gary also alleges the students were told not to discuss the interview with their parents. She says she became alarmed after messaging her daughter and learning the questioning had already happened and that her daughter felt unable to talk about it.

The questions, Gary says, focused on the student’s interactions with a male district employee, including whether the employee ever made her uncomfortable or spent time alone with her. Gary said the nature of the questions made the situation feel serious and unsettling, particularly given that parents were not present or notified in advance.

“It’s not about accusing anyone of criminal behavior,” Gary said. “It’s about how you involve children in these situations and whether parents are informed and included.”

At a recent school board meeting, the district acknowledged that attorneys interviewed students as part of the investigation. In a written statement read aloud by the board president, the board said it had reviewed an independent attorney client privilege fact finding investigation report regarding allegations that a staff member violated board policy.

According to the statement, “The investigating attorney interviewed multiple witnesses for the relevant information, including two students and the employee. The investigation followed due process procedures, and the superintendent authorized the fact finding investigation as permitted by board policy.”

The board further stated that there were no allegations of criminal activity and no concerns of a sexual nature, adding that information made public about the investigation was inaccurate and did not align with the facts. The board said it accepted the findings of the report, supported its conclusions, and considered the matter closed.

Gary said the statement did little to address her main concerns, including whether parents should be notified before students are questioned by attorneys and why parental permission was not obtained.

“They never explained why parents weren’t contacted first or why children were questioned without us knowing,” Gary said. “That’s the part that matters to me.”

Gary said she has repeatedly requested information from the district and has spoken at multiple board meetings but has not received an apology or a detailed explanation of how the interviews were conducted.

She said she is speaking out not only for her own child but to raise awareness for other parents across Michigan, arguing that clearer rules are needed to ensure parents are involved when students are questioned during non emergency investigations.

School officials have not publicly addressed whether parental permission is required under state law in such situations, citing the confidential nature of the attorney client privilege investigation.

Gary said she hopes lawmakers and education officials will examine whether additional safeguards are needed to prevent similar situations in the future.