Butler Acres Elementary Parent Complaint & School District Response—Classic Hits 100.7 KLOG News

A parent of a student at Butler Acres Elementary has filed complaints alleging unsafe and negligent classroom practices following a disciplinary incident involving a fifth-grade teacher last Thursday, November 6.

Ellen Henke claims the teacher confined about 75 fifth-grade students from three classrooms into a single room as a form of group punishment after one child wrote “6/7” on a disposable cardboard test privacy divider. Henke says that during the incident, students were denied restroom access, the room became overcrowded and overheated, and most were required to sit closely together on the floor. She said one student reported having difficulty breathing and needing to hold their urine.

Henke says she has filed complaints with state and federal oversight agencies.

In a response yesterday, Kelso School District Public Information Officer Michele Nerland provided the email sent by the teacher to parents and guardians. A portion of it reads, “I want to let you know that our 5th graders missed their lunch recess today. Unfortunately, some students were not respectful of school property earlier in the day, and as a result, we took this time to discuss the importance of responsibility and respect for our shared spaces.”

Nerland confirmed that the missed recess stemmed from multiple incidents of classroom property damage. She added that students were given opportunities to use the restroom before and after the roughly 20-minute recess period. Nerland said the district has been in communication with Henke regarding her concerns and that a few other parents who reached out following social media posts have had their questions resolved at the school level.