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The U.S. Space & Rocket Center is responding to accusations about one of its employees.

It began this weekend with a Facebook post from a man saying his daughter planned to attend Space Camp this week.

The post said the man found out the camp would allow a man to monitor the girls' dorms. He included pictures and social media posts said to be from that person. Responses have ranged from full support for the father to full support for the employee, who some have said identifies as a transgender woman or nonbinary.

Late Monday afternoon, the center released this statement:

We are aware of rumors circulating on social media about a Space Camp employee. We would like to assure parents, teachers, and the public that the safety and security of Space Camp students is our number one priority. Any allegations of misconduct are taken very seriously. We are working to determine the facts in this case, after which we will take appropriate action.

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 that 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 also have rigorous standards and procedures regarding the behavior of Space Camp employees to ensure the safety of students. These include:

• No physical contact between staff and students beyond a fist bump or high five.
• No staff is allowed to be alone with a student behind a closed door.
• No sharing of personal details including personal phone numbers, email addresses, or social media information.
• No discussion of religion, sexual topics, politics, or sharing of opinions and beliefs that may be controversial.

Additionally, staff sleep in separate rooms from students and use separate bathroom facilities. We also provide 24-hour onsite security including round-the-clock video surveillance, regular foot and vehicle patrols, and controlled campus and building access.

We are an apolitical organization with no social agenda. Our singular mission is to inspire and educate.

Space Camp has been a trusted institution since its founding in 1982 with more than one million graduates from all 50 states and 150 countries. Many of those graduates have gone on to apply the leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving skills they learned at Space Camp to successful careers as scientists, engineers, teachers, doctors, and astronauts.  We will continue to work hard to foster trust with each family and student that walks in our doors.

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