Student 'causing concern' at middle school told to stay home
»Play Video
SCAPPOOSE, Ore. - The Scappoose School District Superintendent said a student whose behavior was "causing concern" at a middle school has been told to stay home and police are investigating.
KATU News received an email Tuesday morning from a person claiming to be a grandparent of a girl who attends Scappoose Middle School. The author of the email said parents were concerned about something a student had written.
The email also said some parents were planning on keeping their children out of school on Tuesday.
Parents and students KATU News spoke to Tuesday said the boy was making threats. They said the boy dresses strangely, wears a mask as he walks the hallways, imitates stabbing people and has a list of students he wants to kill.
However, some of the parents and students admitted that some of the allegations could be rumors that have spun out of control.
But the school district is taking the situation seriously.
Superintendent Stephen Jupe said officials at Scappoose Middle School responded on Monday and the child being kept at home was the same child that was mentioned in the email.
He also said he could not confirm any details in the email and the district would not confirm exactly what the boy's accused of doing.
Jupe said some students did not come to class Tuesday but insisted the school is safe.
"The middle school followed protocol for a situation like this to the letter," Jupe said.
The school district has not said when the student in question can return to class, Jupe said. He said the child's family is cooperating with the school and police are looking into the matter.
Police are investigating, but they aren’t releasing any more information beyond what the district did.
We learned about this story thanks to a news tip. If there's news happening where you live let us know by e-mailing our newsroom at newstips@katu.com.
How about sending them home if their homework isn't done, they aren't prepared to take part in classroom discussion, or are wearing crappy clothes or some that make them look like prostitutes?
KATU, could you get your facts together before you post a story? Why scare everyone, including people who have no clue as to where Scappoose is?Â
 @jpk you obviously have a computer, so why don't you Google Scappoose Oregon and figure it out?
I know where it is, it's Sundowner who posted he/she didn't know where it is. See below response. Try to stay in the thread, OK?
 @jpk Shhhh.....whispering here.  No sense of humor up â there!
 @jpk I know where it is.  I think you can see Russia from there.
@Sundowner You can't.
This comment has been deleted
@danoseknows That is an interesting point. I have read about mildly autistic children acting out. While some of these autistic children are highly functioning, they lack certain social "norms". However, this child seems to be a bit overboard. I believe he needs to therapy and counseling to address his issues, whether they are mental illness or disabilities.
Friek out!  friek out!
After reading this story, I'm terrified. Â I'm not totally sure where Scappoose is ("up there somewhere according to a map"), don't know anyone who goes to school there, don't even really like to spend time with middle school kids, and don't have a clue what this story is really about. Â But thanks to the sterling reporting by KATU, I'm terrified. Â Time to load up the air soft gun and stand watch. Â Oh, KATU -- fear monger much?
Â
Terrified? Are you an Oregonian, or do you think Oregon only refers to the Portland metro area?
 @jpk No, I was being sarcastic. Yes.  No. Â
"However, some of the parents and students admitted that some of the allegations could be rumors that have spun out of control."
Â
So, until a real total investigation is completed, people perhaps need to idle down a bit, and listen. Passing rumors, or making stories will not help at all. The school district can not tell people who the minor is. Hopefully the school district and Law Enforcement finish their investigation, and settle the problem, if there really is one.
Â
Man I'm scared as a fellow middle school-er that goes to that school i just think he needs to just go. Yes hes a death list and draws the Nazi symbol also wears a mask its really scary
Lesson #1 kid... don't use you Name/DOB as you're user ID.
Do they remember Kip Kinkle. If this boy has been doing what is inferred he needs to be sent for evaluation. And possibly home schooled. And if indeed he did kill ten cats with a machete he needs to be charged with the crime....... He is a murder waiting to happen.
Why no stock photos of police cars or ambulances?
 @HenryBowman You left out the always-popular picture of the (toy) handcuffs.
This kid was physically threatening kids. The school was not doing anything about it..... This has gone on for 2 weeks with the school knowing!!!!!Â
Â
 @scappoosemom78 That would have never happened back in my grade school with the nuns we had ...they were the law enforcers you never, ever wanted to run afoul of. They did not tolerate foolishness or any acting out AT ALL.
So, a kid is acting out bad enough to be told to stay home and a grandparent writes an email to the news station? That's dumb enough. But, then it actually makes the news? That is beyond ridiculous. Shame on you KATU. Very poor reporting on nothing newsworthy other than a grandparent looking to blame others instead of finding out what's wrong with their grandchild.
@beavertonlass - the grandparent was that of a different child.. but this story lacks everything to include what the child wrote.
So, someone may have done or said something at some time somewhere to someone. Oh, yeah, that's very clear.
I do applaud K2 and the other networks for their 'reader submitted' news. But, perhaps, the story could use some development prior to posting.
Â
Basically, this 'story' could be summed up in two sentences.
Â
An email was received by K2 from someone claiming to be a relative of a girl who stayed home by the request of her school. The school district does not deny she was asked to stay home, and states is was because of something she did.Â
Â
Â
 @MarkKpic Maybe KATU has edited the story since you posted, but the girl staying home is not the student being told to stay home. The student being told to stay home is a boy who dresses strangely and behaves in an intimidating manner.
 @gofigure To be fair, after re-reading the original 'story', I realized that I was to blame for the misinterpretation. They have rewritten the story since, and kept the original comment thread.Â
Â
Guess people running for office aren't the only ones who have gaffes.Â
Â
After the rewrite, I can see where the cause for concern comes from. Kinda take issue with the whole 'dresses strangely' line of thinking... I've always thought that one persons 'strange' is anothers 'normal'. But the behavioral patterns described above would send me as a parent into fits as well. Sounds like the boy has some psychological/emotional issues that desperately need attention. I sincerely hope that this opportunity can afford him that help.Â
Used to be, when a student acted up, they were removed from class, their parents were called and the parent punished them. If it happened a second time the student was suspended. A third time and they were expelled. They were then sent to a "continuation school" pretty much a cross between juvenile detention and school. They were required to do school work and problems were dealt with harshly.
What happened to those times, when kids felt like the problem child would actually be punished? There was no "in school suspension" no excuses. Kids behaved or they were kicked out. We need to get back to those days, so our schools can teach, instead of babysit.
@Owt_Raged   I couldn't agree with you more! It only took me once to be sent to the principals office to meet "the board". Then got grounded at home for a couple weeks (all this decades ago). It's amazing how swift and meaningful punishment can change behavior.
Â
@Owt_Raged - even though vague, I don't believe it was a behavior, so to speak. The kid wrote something... if it was threatening others it would make sense to bar them from coming to school.
This child has been making threats to kill kids since about a week and a half ago. This child has also bragged about killing 10 cats with a machete! He has threatened to stab students with pencils and scissors. The student would wear a mask to school and was talked to about it, and no sooner than he walked out the door of the office he put it back on..... Why was it not taken away? Why was nothing done sooner?! Why was the safety of our students breached? Students have been going  to the staff with concerns and nothing has been done about it for the last week and a half until a concerned parent called the police yesterday! This student has also been expelled from both Rainier and St. Helens schools. My child is not directly connected to these threats but those that are, are friends of my childs! Very sickening ordeal going on out here! Sickening that our school staff has done NOTHING up until the point of another concerned parent contacting the police!Â
 @scappoosemom78 You have way more information than katu did. Thanks for sharing.
Folks, KATU's writers are not at fault for the lack of information. This is all highly protected, highly private information which the public has no right to! Juvenile (*minor*) suspect, public school and possibly a believable threat -- all we the public have a right to know, and which is all the school system and LEA are allowed by law to release to the public, was in this article.
Wow, lots of words but nothing said.
 @RalphCramden Ha! I was thinking the same thing....not much substance here to warrant a news story.
 @IfishsumÂ
They could have summed it up on one short paragraph.
Yup! Stay home, and come back tomorrow when things will be better? Sure! Keep believing it. And as for this "news" report, there are many things lacking. Incomplete news is worse than no news as it leaves readers to make up their own info. Yup!
More stellar reporting from katu. I can't understand what happened, how and whose parents found out about it, who wrote the email, or which kids are staying home and why.
There's so little detail in the report that it's impossible to know what occurred here and whether everyone's actions were appropriate or news worthy. Odd article. Whatever is going on, I hope the authorities, parents and school can sort it out to a safe and acceptable resolution for the children involved.
the kid made some kind of threat i gather?