VERNONIA, Vernonia’s free after-school program is on pause and a staff member has been fired after what the school district calls an “incident” on Oct. 28 in the program, which Camp Cedar Ridge runs for the district under a federal grant.
In a statement dated Oct. 29 posted on the district website, Superintendent Darla Waite-Larkin wrote that the district is “deeply saddened by the incident that took place within our partner after-school program operated by Camp Cedar Ridge” and has “taken the necessary steps to ensure that the individual involved is no longer welcome on district property.” Counselors have been made available to students, the statement says, and “when the program resumes, it will be guided by new staff.”
Parents told KATU that children in the program were told to put tape over their mouths during an activity and that a staff member yelled at them; one parent said younger children hid in their cubbies, according to the station’s Oct. 29 report. KATU reported that Camp Cedar Ridge Executive Director Kasey Wilson wrote to parents Wednesday evening that the staff member who led the activity had been fired, that the camp had reported the incident to the Oregon Department of Human Services, and that the program was paused while the camp reviews it with the district and its partner agencies. The Tribune has not seen the letter.
No law enforcement agency had issued a release on the incident as of Friday morning. The staff member has not been publicly identified.
A Program Built on a Federal Grant
The Vernonia Village Youth and Family Enrichment Program is free to Vernonia School District students in kindergarten through 12th grade, with bus transportation, because it is paid for by a 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant awarded to the district, according to the camp’s program page. The page describes it as “a Federal Grant-funded enrichment program with specific outcomes that we must meet,” which is why students must be registered for at least three days a week. It runs Monday through Thursday afternoons until 5:45 p.m. for grades K-5 and 6-12, with homework help, tutoring, arts, STEM, construction skills, and field trips. This year’s program started Sept. 8.
Camp Cedar Ridge is a retreat and youth camp outside Vernonia that also hosts the Northwest Regional Education Service District’s outdoor school and the Larry Steele Basketball Camp, per its website.
The district’s statement acknowledges what the program means in a town with few other options: “We recognize that this after-school program has played an important role in supporting many Vernonia families, and we understand how much families value having access to these services. We hope to continue providing this valuable support in the future while ensuring that student safety remains at the forefront of every decision.”
The district has not said when the program will resume.