Student statements investigated on Willamina campus

Law enforcement personnel detained a Willamina High School student on the Northeast Oaken Hills Drive campus the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 18 for allegedly making “concerning statements to staff members,” according to the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies responded about 8:45 a.m. to the campus. The district followed its own internal procedures whenever there is concern for staff and/or students. Deputies and the Grand Ronde Tribal Police Department located and took the student into custody on campus.

Parents were notified of the incident via the district’s notification system and Facebook page.

The district posted a message that read in part:

“This prompted us to follow our protocols and immediately go into Code Purple. A Code Purple is used when the hallways in the school need to remain clear. Classroom learning will still occur as normal during a Code Purple, but students may be unable to change classes until the code/hold has been lifted.”

That occurred shortly after deputies and Grand Ronde Police arrived on campus, and the school resumed normal activity.

“The safety of our students is our number one concern, and in any situation that is deemed potentially unsafe, we respond with any and all precautions that we deem necessary,” the district said.

Grand Ronde Tribal Police are investigating the incident as the agency has an officer assigned to the district as a school resource officer.