Former contractor Clifford Weaver, who had ended his contract in February, had been using his HISD ID card to enter the schools, passing himself off as a serviceman. Using the ID card and a bit of trickery, Weaver accessed the seven schools where, coincidentally, the servers went missing. Weaver was charged with the server theft and appeared in court yesterday.

This case brings up an interesting point about ID card policy - could this kind of theft been prevented with an effective ID retention/exit interview process? Employee ID cards are essential in maintaining safety at work, but what happens when someone is no longer an employee? HISD, and other school districts and employers, could reduce their risk of ex-employee theft in the future by retaining ID cards and access materials at the the termination of employment. The only way Weaver was able to get into the schools and steal the servers was to use his ID card. Taking this ID card away at the end of Weaver's employment could have reduced HISD's risk substantially.