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Parents call for PPS to put principal on leave after student gives third grader crack cocaine

The Arleta School student consumed the crack cocaine and was taken to the hospital. The student ended up being OK.

PORTLAND, Ore. — A number of parents are frustrated with their school administration's handling of a scary, dangerous situation last week.

A student reportedly gave crack cocaine to a third grader at Arleta School in Southeast Portland.

Portland Public Schools is investigating what unfolded, and how Arleta School leadership and staff responded. Portland police are investigating the incident as well.

RELATED: Portland third grader goes to hospital after eating crack cocaine at school

On Tuesday night, several parents attended a school board meeting voicing their concerns and demanding the principal, Diana Kruger, be placed on leave.

There was a simultaneous meeting at Arleta School with a district official Tuesday night, so parents said they divided and conquered.

Some parents said this isn’t the first time they've been upset with the Kruger throughout her short tenure there, but they hope it will be the last.   

When one mom, who doesn’t want to be identified, learned her third grade daughter was in the third-fourth grade classroom where a student gave another kid crack cocaine, she was stunned -- and angry.

The school sent her and other families an email that afternoon explaining a student gave another kid white powder. Later, parents with kids in that class got a phone call from the principal telling them that white powder was crack cocaine.

But that call didn't go out to every family.

Parents KGW spoke with say not every family even got the initial email.

In the initial e-mail, Principal Kruger told parents her staff did an “excellent job responding quickly” and that she reached out to Portland Public Schools central office and police immediately. 

“I got the first email and didn't think it was anything serious. I thought, oh, it's a Pixie Stick some kid brought to school,” one mom Denise Castanon said.

Most families were like Castanon -- in the dark.

"I wish there had been more transparency and that parents - the whole community - had been notified this had happened, so we can talk to our kids," Castanon said.

She said Kruger’s mishandling pushed them to send letters to the district over the weekend, calling for the principal to be put on administrative leave while PPS investigates. More than 50 other parents did the same.

“Parents of students from K-8 describe poor communication, administration chaos, equity issues and overall breakdown of systems and protocol,” Castanon said, reading a statement on behalf of those parents.

They also feel outraged Kruger and the nurse didn't call 911 and waited to call the students' parents.

The nurse did not call 911 because the student seemed OK, according to Multnomah Education Service District. Health assistants have the "authority to call emergency medical services at any time and would call the EMS if they observed life threatening symptoms such as unresponsiveness, convulsion or difficulty breathing." 

This whole situation was the straw that broke the camel's back.

“We believe this incident occurred in an environment that has been made hostile and chaotic by Principal Kruger and we need district leadership to work with parents and staff to heal our school community so that our children can truly thrive,” Castanon said.

The Arleta School community received this update from Kruger over the weekend. She acknowledges the situation involved drugs and says Child Protective Services is also investigating.

"Arleta staff followed district policies to ensure the safety of all students and contacted families directly impacted by the situation, Portland Police, Child Protective Services & PPS Central Office Leadership," her letter reads.

KGW learned, as of Monday, there is a retired school principal on campus helping out with administrative leadership. Parents tell us Kruger has not been in the building this week, but the school district will not respond to our inquiries regarding her status.

Here is the full statement from Portland Public Schools:

"Student safety is our highest priority and we believe in all school staff being well-prepared for safety and emergency incidents. The district is conducting an investigation of last week's incident at Arleta School. We want to know how the incident unfolded, how school leadership and staff responded, and what we can learn from it. We always want to know what we could have done better, and also find out if there were positive actions taken at any point that we could share with other schools. 

A group of Arleta parents began contacting our Deputy Superintendent/Chief of Schools and Regional Superintendent, beginning last Friday evening and continuing throughout the weekend. Our Regional Superintendent responded to every parent during the weekend, and offered her mobile phone number in case parents wanted to talk immediately. Beginning yesterday, Arleta has had a retired school principal on campus to provide administrative leadership support, and the school's Area Senior Director has been on campus, as well. 

The Regional Superintendent is joining families this evening at the school, to hear more about their concerns."

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