This story was updated following additional information from police and the school district.
A West Salem High School instructional assistant is on paid administrative leave after getting into a fight with a student during the school’s lunch period on Monday, school officials confirmed Thursday.
Principal Carlos Ruiz notified West Salem families of the fight Monday afternoon via a message on the district’s ParentSquare app.
“During our lunch period, a physical altercation broke out between a student and a staff member. Nearby staff members intervened to de-escalate the situation to keep people safe. We are working directly with those involved and impacted by this incident as we learn more about what occurred,” Ruiz wrote.
His email did not provide further details about what led to the fight.
Salem-Keizer School District spokesman Aaron Harada said the employee involved is on leave as the district investigates the fight. That means he receives his regular salary, but does not come to school or perform any work for the district.
That is district policy in cases where an employee is being internally investigated.
Harada declined to say if anyone was injured in the fight, or provide more detail about what happened, citing the open investigation.
Salem Reporter is not identifying the employee because he has not been charged with a crime and the professional investigation remains open.
The school called Salem police to report the fight, but police did not respond to the school, police department spokeswoman Angela Hedrick said. The fight is not being investigated as a crime, she said.
Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.
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Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers city news, education, nonprofits and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for a decade. Outside of work, she’s a skater and board member with Salem’s Cherry City Roller Derby and can often be found with her nose buried in a book.
