Seattle Public Schools, the state's largest district, sent a letter home to families and guardians of students at Catharine Blaine K-8 school in Magnolia. The letter addressed something concerning some students and parents reported seeing from a substitute teacher on camera in his home.
School security filed a report with the Seattle Police Department, which confirmed their sexual assault unit is investigating, but they did not elaborate on the circumstances.
Families with additional information are encouraged to contact the district, who sent the following letter home to families:
Dear Blaine K-8 Families,
I am writing to share information about an incident that happened in one of our middle school remote classes yesterday. The safety and wellbeing of our students is always our top priority – even when our school building is closed.
Some students and parents reported seeing one of our substitute teachers on camera in his home, and what was seen caused enough concern for the district to open an investigation regarding what happened.
Please be aware that the Blaine teacher who was leading the class took swift action and removed the person from the Teams class. Additionally, the district took immediate action to stop this staff person from accessing SPS Microsoft Teams and Blaine Schoology pages, and they are unable to take on substitute work for the district.
In alignment with District reporting protocols, SPS security was contacted and a report was made to the Seattle Police Department. Because the investigation is still ongoing, we are not able to share specific details.
To the extent I can, I will provide updates on this situation. If you or your child has additional details to share, please be in touch with me or Mr. Gray, or you can always reach out to the district’s Title IX Office: title.ix@seattleschools.org.
Finally, I continue to ask for your partnership in reminding students about digital safety and appropriate technology use, and to remind your children to tell you if they see something that is uncomfortable or doesn’t feel safe.
Sincerely,
Ryan LaDage
Principal - Catharine Blaine K8
