LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — For years, David Vander Meer was a trusted figure at Somerset Academy's Lone Mountain Campus, a public charter school in the northwest valley.
Now, disturbing allegations against the former counselor have unleashed outrage and fear among parents, compounded by frustration over the school's silence.
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Unprofessional. Terrifying. Even immoral.
Those are the words one mother used to describe Somerset Academy’s handling of criminal allegations against the former school counselor. She said she had to learn from media reports — not the school — that Vander Meer had been arrested for murder, and now fears parents were left in the dark about potential threats to their children.
According to Somerset Academy's Facebook page, Vander Meer worked as the school's guidance counselor for at least eight years.
Rachel, who asked that we only use her first name, has a child at Somerset. She recalls seeing Vander Meer in the car line every morning and chatting at school events.
He also regularly appeared on the school's Facebook page, including a video of him sitting on a couch, reading a children's book aloud to the camera.
"Being human means I'm not perfect. I make mistakes," Vander Meer said in the video. "I can hurt others with my words, my actions, even my silence."
Those words are chilling in light of the charges filed earlier this week.
"Another parent commented today on a post I made stating that her kids had been alone with him recently," Rachel said. "We should not be left finding out with the whole world what this dangerous man did and have zero communication from the very school that we trusted with our children."
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She learned through news reports that Vander Meer had been arrested for murder, and that police learned in 2022 that he had allegedly groomed children when serving as a youth pastor. She said the school owed parents some outreach.
“There were no resources. There's nothing of here's our plan, here's what we're going to do, here's who to reach out to," Rachel said. "I even emailed the principal like, what's going on?"
We contacted Somerset Academy immediately after Vander Meer's arrest on Tuesday. Officials confirmed he was placed on administrative leave but declined interviews, stating they would make no further comments.
We then turned to the Nevada State Public Charter School Authority, which oversees charter schools statewide. Leaders there told us Somerset staff were notified the day Vander Meer was arrested and planned to update families directly. But they admitted the "rapidly-developing situation" went public through the media before any message reached parents.
You can read their full statement below:
"We understand how upsetting and unsettling this news is for the families, particularly for parents whose children knew or interacted with Mr. Vander Meer. Families understandably have questions about what occurred, whether their children may have been affected, and what steps are being taken to protect students.
While SPCSA cannot speak on behalf of school leadership regarding its personnel decisions or communications with families, SPCSA understands that school leadership informed staff of the developing situation on June 23, 2026. School leadership had planned to communicate directly with families as more information became available. The situation developed quickly, and the matter became public through media reports before that communication was sent. We recognize that learning about the situation through the media was distressing for families.
Because of the nature of the allegations and the ongoing investigation, we cannot comment on the particulars of the investigation or discuss information beyond what has been confirmed. While the matter remains under investigation, the preliminary information available to date has not identified any inappropriate interactions between Mr. Vander Meer and students during his employment.
Following Mr. Vander Meer’s arrest, the school placed him on administrative leave. The school, in coordination with SPCSA, will continue its internal review and closely monitor the situation as additional information becomes available.
The safety and well-being of students remains our highest priority."
"It's not acceptable," Rachel said. "There's kind of this veil of an excuse."
When we pressed Somerset Academy again on Thursday morning and told them we would be reporting on parents' concerns, a statement finally went out about two hours later. It claimed the school had "no information beyond what's been publicly released" by police and said there had been "no reports of wrongdoing" during Vander Meer's tenure.
We also questioned the Charter School Authority about how Vander Meer passed background checks despite police records showing allegations spanning years. Authorities said that at the time of his licensure and renewal, those allegations had not resulted in criminal charges and therefore would not appear in a background screening.
Rachel said parents desire more transparency, accountability and answers, not just from the school, but from the state.
"We need transparency. We need to know what was done," she said.
After getting the school's statement Thursday afternoon, Rachel reached out again to say it felt like risk management, calling it disconnected from the trauma this has caused Somerset families and students. She wants to see an action plan moving forward, commitment to transparency and commitment to a thorough, independent review of Vander Meer's interactions with students during his employment.
Rachel said, "Trust isn't restored by telling us what happened. It's restored by showing us what you're going to do next."
You can read the full letter that Somerset Academy sent to parents below.
"Dear Somerset Academy Lone Mountain Families,
Over the past several days, many of you have become aware of media reports concerning David Vander Meer, a former staff member at Somerset Academy-Lone Mountain. Mr. Vander Meer was recently arrested in relation to events that took place nearly 20 years ago, prior to his employment with Somerset Academy. We have also learned in media reports today that he passed away while in law enforcement custody.
This news has been deeply unsettling for many members of our school community, and we recognize that families may have questions and concerns. News of this nature can be confusing, upsetting, or emotionally challenging for students.
If you believe your child is struggling or would benefit from speaking with a Safe School Professional or another member of our student support team, please contact the school administration. We are committed to working with families to ensure that students receive the support they need.
While there are legal limitations on what the school may disclose regarding confidential personnel matters and the criminal investigation, we want to share the following information:
The school complies with all applicable Nevada laws and regulatory requirements governing the hiring of licensed personnel, including required criminal background screening and fingerprinting processes.
The employee in question was issued, and recently renewed, a valid Nevada Department of Education license, which requires a criminal background check to obtain.
The school has no information beyond what has been publicly released by law enforcement and the media concerning the underlying allegations.
The school had not received any reports of wrong-doing while employed at Somerset Academy.
Upon learning of the criminal proceedings, the school acted promptly by placing the employee on administrative leave and removing him from all school duties.
The safety and well-being of our students remain our highest priority. We recognize that parents place great trust in our school, and we take seriously our responsibility to provide a safe, supportive, and secure learning environment for every student.
We appreciate your continued trust, partnership, and support of Somerset Academy Lone Mountain as we navigate this difficult situation together.
Sincerely,Cesar Tiu
Principal
Somerset Academy Lone Mountain