Thinkery responds to safety, health concerns following staff walkout
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin nonprofit children's museum Thinkery responded to circulating allegations against museum staff and facilities, following a demonstration held by some floor team members Friday.
Thinkery leadership said seven staff members demonstrated outside the museum on Friday, saying in a statement officials 'fully support our employees' right to voice their concerns and advocate for themselves.' A flyer posted on social media alleged demonstrators were raising awareness about 'ongoing safety issues' at the facility and called on museum leadership to attend a national diversity, equity and inclusion training week to best service staff. The flyer also alleged several staff were terminated for speaking out on alleged issues at Thinkery.
KXAN requested access to a Facebook group and reached out to a blogger sharing allegations related to the demonstration. We will update this story if we receive responses from either of those parties.
In an interview with KXAN Monday, Thinkery CEO Andy Bell said the company hosted open dialogue sessions with staff over the weekend. On Sunday, Bell joined other leadership in a four-hour, in-person conversation with staff to clarify information shared online and to take in feedback on how to improve organization operations.
With safety concerns flagged, Bell did note an indoor water feature installed a decade ago does sometimes cause mildew and leads to deep cleanings. In the 10 years the water feature has been operating, Bell said Thinkery has never had a case of black mold.
KXAN TOP STORY: Parents question education savings account plans as legislation moves forward
In the Thinkery's statement, officials said they've had their building fully inspected recently and the facility is in 'full compliance with all health and safety regulations through Texas Health and Human Services.' Leadership added cleaning teams visit the museum during and after the museum's operating hours to clean the restrooms and common areas, with deep cleanings scheduled while the museum is closed.
'As we've had more visitors, towards the end of last year we actually added additional cleaning during the day when we know there's going to be more traffic,' Bell said. 'So some of our visitors who maybe haven't been to the museum in a little while, maybe haven't benefited from some additional cleaning, but this is an area that is continuously being monitored.'
Some allegations made online claimed a lack of safety protocols, including no active shooter or missing children plans implemented at Thinkery. Bell denounced those, saying every staff member undergoes active shooter and missing child training, known as Code Adam.
'I think it's really important for our community to know that when you visit Thinkery, that you are in safe hands, and that we're doing everything that we possibly can to ensure the safety of our business,' he said.
The flyer also outlined staff's demands for a minimum living wage of $22 an hour at the museum. In the museum's statement, Thinkery officials said they are offering forums for listening sessions between floor staff, managers and leadership and will be 'implementing changes based on feedback we receive.'
Regarding alleged terminations from Thinkery, Bell said the organization only takes action when an employee violates the museum's policy and code of conduct. When someone is terminated, Thinkery doesn't share details about the violation that happened, Bell said.
'We take our staffing and staff decisions extremely seriously, and every that we've had to make has been tied to our policy and to our performance,' he added.
Bell added the organization is continually taking in staff feedback and making changes based on those comments, and is focused on providing a 'safe and joyful experience for all of our visitors.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Brillion Fire Department welcomes and congratulates its first-ever Fire Cadets
BRILLION, Wis. (WFRV) – In a Wednesday morning Facebook post, the Brillion Fire Department introduced the community to some of its newest members. Reese, Kiera and Blake were welcomed by the station in December as the first cadets in department history. Village of Bellevue gets two new Community Orchards courtesy of volunteers & New Leaf Foods 'These cadets are gaining hands-on experience, training alongside our firefighters and preparing to serve the community with dedication and pride,' the post said. The Brillion Fire Department's post expressed pride and excitement for the trio, as they become part of the next generation of firefighters. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Fire breaks out at Coach's in Wilkesboro with employees, patrons inside
WILKESBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — A fire broke out at Coach's Neighborhood Grill on Tuesday while employees and patrons were inside, according to a Facebook post by Millers Creek Fire Department. Wilkesboro Fire Department arrived at Coach's, located at 1840 Winkler Street off of U.S. Hwy 421, and found smoke and fire coming from the roof's mechanical area. Heavy fire spread throughout the ceiling area above the tiles. Crews cut three ventilation holes through the roof to extinguish the fire, which took about 45 minutes to control. Assisting agencies include: Cricket Fire Department Moravian Falls Fire Department Broadway Fire Department Wilkes County EMS Wilkesboro Police Department Duke Power Frontier Energy The post does not specify what time the fire happened; however, personnel were on scene until midnight searching for hotspots and fire extension. No injuries were reported to civilians or firefighters. The fire is believed to be accidental. The North Carolina State Fire Marshal's Office continues to investigate. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Watch Duty wildfire map: App helps track California blazes, find shelter. What to know
As a wildfire continues to spread in Apple Valley, one service is working overtime to keep residents informed − and safe: Watch Duty. Watch Duty uses an app and a web browser to alert people of nearby wildfires and firefighting efforts "in real-time." By using the platform, Apple Valley residents being impacted by the Ranch Fire − among others − can see a list of local shelters, that status of evacuation orders and warnings, as well as regular updates. John Mills, CEO and co-founder of Watch Duty, said that as a California resident, he has experienced, the same situation tens of thousands of people are dealing with. When he was forced to evacuate from his home west of Healdsburg in Northern California's Sonoma County because of the Walbridge Fire in 2020, he kept his ear to the ground, listening for any and all updates related to the fire. "It was just a traumatizing amount .... You're up all day refreshing your browser tab and trying to figure out where the information is. And turns out, information is on the radio and there are a bunch of the first responder radios," Mills said in a Wednesday interview with USA TODAY. "There are these people who spend all their days and nights listening to first responders relaying that information on Twitter and Facebook. And that's what got me through those fires." Live updates: Ranch Fire reported at 4,200 acres, evacuation orders remain in place Mills decided to get to work on this "crazy idea" he had, helping his friend build a startup in the wildfire space. "I'm riding in fire trucks, doing wildland fire training. I'm hanging out with first responders and trying to understand what the worlds looks like and how I can help," Mills said. "About six months in, I realized what the answer was, and it was what became Watch Duty." Here's what to know about Watch Duty, including how to get it. Watch Duty is a non-profit focused on "disseminating public safety information in real-time from verified sources" about wildfires across 14 states, including Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Hawaii and California, according to the Watch Duty website. Any information posted to Watch Duty comes from active and retired firefighters, dispatchers, and first responders, who routinely monitor radio scanners, working around the clock to bring you up-to-the-minute lifesaving information. Watch Duty was built in 80 days and officially launched in August 2021, a year after a multiple fires devastated counties in northern California, including Sonoma County. Get weather and fire alerts via text: Sign up to get current wildfire updates by location Watch Duty follows six steps anytime wildfire-related information is disseminated by fire response personnel. An automated monitoring system picks up the details about an incident reported to the emergency dispatch center, alerting Watch Duty teams via a messaging app, then any and all Watch Duty reporters in the region begin to monitor radio scanners, wildfire cameras, satellites and other public sources. After that, Watch Duty reporters verify the disseminated information and wait for on-scene personnel to provide an official report on conditions. Watch Duty will notify the affected public of any perceived threat to life or property through the application and will continue to monitor the incident and provide updates until it is extinguished or no longer a threat. A step-by-step video of how Watch Duty works can be seen below. The is available for free to download on the App Store, Google Play, or can be used through your web browser. Watch Duty has been downloaded over 2.8 million times since it was released. In-app features include: Real-time Wildfire Map & Alerts Monitor Wildfires and Prescribed Burns Flight Tracker Air Quality & Wind Direction Consolidated Information like red flag warnings or power outages Track Active Fire Perimeters Evacuation Orders & Shelters Submit Photos This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Watch Duty: Free wildfire alert app helps California residents