Parents tell North Clackamas board their children are unsafe and request accountability

Gabrielle Torres, a parent at Bill Quest Elementary, told the board she has repeatedly sought help from district staff and leaders and has seen ‘‘nothing change.’’ Torres, who said she has logged dozens of calls and hundreds of emails over months, asked the board when it will ‘‘stand up and actually do something’’ to provide accountability for families.

Kalina Fay, whose 7‑year‑old son Ethan attends Bill Quest on an IEP, listed multiple, medically documented incidents she said occurred while her son was under district supervision — including a concussion after an assault with a hockey stick, other head injuries, poked eyes, and episodes of being pushed on the bus. Fay said she did not receive a timely incident report or an explanation of actions taken to keep her child safe and described emotional harm and trauma affecting her son’s daily life. "A concussion is a traumatic brain injury, not a minor incident," Fay said.

Lindsay Domenico, a Milwaukee resident and parent, urged clearer public communication about behavior‑intervention processes and cited Oregon law (recorded in the transcript as "Oregon law 581-015-2040") while asking the board to explain why some students return to classrooms after tantrums and why changes in placement are not immediate. Domenico also asked the board to tighten volunteer guidelines and enforce consequences where rules are violated, arguing that clearer expectations for adults in schools would reduce misunderstandings.

Board members acknowledged the public comments and thanked speakers for raising concerns. Directors said the district seeks to resolve issues at the school level when possible and emphasized partnership with families; no formal action to change protocols or initiate a district‑level investigation was recorded in the meeting minutes.

The board did not make a formal finding on the specific allegations during the meeting. Members present encouraged parents to use the district’s complaint process (policy KBA AR was referenced in the meeting) and to provide documentation to staff as part of ongoing follow‑up. The board’s next steps, including whether staff will bring a follow‑up report to a future meeting, were not specified on the record.