The Whitesboro Independent School District has adopted new requirements for photographers seeking sideline access at school-sanctioned events. The district announced the new policy Sept. 1 through its Facebook page. Beginning this school year, those permitted on the sidelines to photograph school events must meet one of the following criteria:
• Be a student enrolled in WHS Yearbook or Photography;
• Be a professional photographer who carries a $1 million liability insurance policy and has passed a weekly background check;
• Be a member of a local media outlet and not be of school age; or
• Be a school employee who has received permission from the athletic director.
While some local photographers have voiced opposition to the policy, 18-year-old WHS senior Layke Cole and his father, Shawn Cole, brought their concerns directly to the WISD Board of Trustees during its meeting last Monday.
“Is this an actual policy?” Shawn asked. “Is there an actual policy that’s entered into the official policy three-ring binder somewhere?”
Superintendent Ryan Harper explained that the requirements are not a Texas Association of School Boards policy requiring formal board adoption, but rather a procedural policy implemented by the district following a recommendation.
“I’m just kind of wondering what happened that, all of a sudden, there had to be a policy,” Shawn said. “You kind of only singled out one person, my son.”
Harper said the decision followed the first home scrimmage of the high school football season, when six or seven people with cameras were positioned around the stadium. Some were using tripods and other equipment that encroached into the area along the sidelines where the team was positioned.
“The question was, who are these people that we’re allowing access to our kids … we don’t know anything about these adults that are down there,” Harper said.
“But we’re talking about Layke,” Shawn said. “He’s been through two years of Yearbook, two years of Journalism, he’s taking this serious. He’s spent $1,500 on cameras over the last few years, his own money … All of a sudden, you can’t be of school age? What’s that about?”
Harper explained that students who are not currently enrolled in a student organization such as Yearbook or Journalism do not have the same organizational oversight and therefore are no longer permitted on the sidelines for photographic purposes.
Layke also questioned the manner in which the requirements were communicated. He said the information had only been made public through an AI-generated flyer posted to the district’s Facebook page and was not available on the district’s website.
“This continues to be the only form of this, not policy, but regulation that exists,” Layke said. “This regulation does not exist on the school website. This is the only form of it, anywhere, written. That’s what, essentially, makes me upset — this is extremely unprofessional.”
Layke said the only reason he is not enrolled in Yearbook this year is because of a scheduling conflict.
“I don’t understand why I’m being singled out by saying ‘school age,’ even though I’m a legal adult according to the state of Texas,” he said. “I just don’t understand that one bit.”
Jamie Welles, a local resident and mother of three, spoke in support of the district’s decision.
“From my experience, these decisions are made because of conditions that need to be addressed, or there has been a situation in the past that they do not wish to repeat,” Welles said. “As a professional, the concerned would understand the need to carry limited liability insurance, as all businesses that are legal do, and have a background check for working with or around children. These are standard business practices at a national level.”
Welles also cited safety concerns, including the potential for crowded sidelines to interfere with emergency personnel providing care when needed.
“As we grow, we need to have the forethought and put policies in place now to protect our students and staff, not just for today, but for the future,” she said. “I’m grateful for all of our teachers and staff, and I’m grateful for the people who care enough to keep not just my kids safe, but their peers as well.”
Harper confirmed that the new policy would apply not just to high school football games, but all school-sanctioned events, either on the field or in the gym. The policy would also be shared with visiting teams to ensure they follow this new protocol.
“My recommendation is to make this an official policy,” he told the board. “I temporarily put it in place for safety purposes, but I recommend continuing that policy moving forward.”
The board voted unanimously to adopt the policy. Trustees Michael Parish and Kevin Hartless were absent.
