Safety is our Top Priority

Walla Walla Public Schools Statement

Safety is our Top Priority

At the August school board meeting, two individuals spoke during the public comment period about the actions of a former district employee, referencing a WWPD police report.

Following public comment, and consistent with board policy, the board requested the superintendent to investigate the matter and report back regarding the actions taken by school and human resources staff. That investigation is now complete. It provides further context for the situation that was outside the scope of the police report.

The district’s primary concern is the safety of the children within our care. That concern extends to the elementary student and family involved here, who did not ask to be dragged into the public sphere. The parent involved has confirmed to the district that the individuals making this matter public were not acting on their request.

For these reasons, the district will not share more information about the situation, even though that information provides added context and facts that address the timeline of events and actions taken by school administration and human resources staff, consistent with adopted policies and procedures.

We can confirm that the district’s investigation at the time focused on Policy and Procedure 5253 – Maintaining Professional Staff/Student Boundaries. We can also share that the classified staff member whose conduct was at issue has not been employed by the district since soon after completion of the investigation last school year.

Student safety is and always remains our top priority. The board has asked district officials to thoroughly review current practice, affirm adopted policies and procedures align with model policies published by the Washington State School Directors Association, and suggest potential modifications if these processes can be improved in any way.