Jewell School District is canceling classes Monday and Tuesday due to a criminal investigation

JEWELL Ore. (KPTV) – The Jewell School District canceled school Monday after what the district calls an ongoing criminal investigation. According to district parents, school will also be canceled on Tuesday.

While the nature of the investigation is limited at this time, police have confirmed that the incident involved minors.

The Clatsop County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement: “On December 5, we responded to a reported personal assault at The Jewell School. The parties involved are minors and the investigation is ongoing.”

Parents attended a district-organized community meeting Monday evening in hopes of learning more about what exactly happened Friday.

Interim Superintendent Cory Pederson addressed the room, saying, “As a parent, I am discouraged, saddened and also upset,” but also, “This is an ongoing criminal investigation, so I have to be careful what I say.”

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While parents expressed frustrations and concerns over a lack of details, Pederson did confirm that the student involved in the alleged incident is not currently attending school.

At Jewell School, the elementary, middle, and high school buildings are all on one campus. Parents expressed concerns about students of different ages interacting in one building, access with camera security and how the district regularly responds to said ‘incidents’.

“I feel like you’re taking away our rights as parents because we make important decisions about what we expose our children to,” one parent said.

There was discussion about the safety protocols the school is considering, such as mandatory hall passes for all grades, hallway monitors and educational resources for all students about sexual assault.

We have heard that school has also been canceled for Tuesday.

Because the investigation is ongoing, information about the alleged incident is limited.