This screenshot of a virtual St. Helens School District school board meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 15 features members of the school board including the current acting superintendent, Steven Webb
Screenshot/St. Helens School District
The St. Helens School District moved its in-person board meeting Wednesday night to an online-only format, due to safety concerns.
In a press release, district officials said they switched to virtual after they learned about gun threats related to the board meeting.
“These acts of intimidation and threats are deeply troubling and have no place in our community,” the press release reads. “The St. Helens School District is committed to providing a safe and respectful environment for open dialogue and decision-making.”
The community of St. Helens has been dealing with a sexual abuse scandal involving multiple teachers, and administrators who didn’t report the abuse.
Related: 10 St. Helens employees now on leave in sexual abuse case. School district offers few details
St. Helens Police spokesperson Crystal King confirmed Wednesday that officers received a report from the district regarding social media posts about the board meeting. King said the district “felt there were potential safety concerns.”
“Based solely on the information we have received so far, we do not have an active criminal case at this time,” King said in an email.
In addition to the threats, the district also revealed some of its employees and board members had personal information released to the public.
“I really, really don’t like virtual, and when there are concerns in the community that rise to the level of threats or safety concerns, we have to move to this particular venue,” Board Vice Chair Trinity Monahan said at Wednesday’s meeting.
“Next week I’d really like to go back in person if at all possible, but we cannot do that if there are concerns about safety related to threats or things that put the citizens at risk, that puts students that attend our meetings at risk, or that put any member of the board or staff at risk.”
At Wednesday’s meeting, board members discussed an expedited timeline in its search for a new acting superintendent. This comes after its current acting superintendent, Steven T. Webb, announced Tuesday that he would be stepping away on Jan. 31, a month earlier than initially planned.
The board’s next regularly scheduled meeting is on Jan. 22.
