Scappoose school board member resigns after student dies in ATV crash
(Columbia County Spotlight) -- Nearly three months after an ATV crash killed a Scappoose High School student, Scappoose school board Vice Chair Branda Jurasek has formally resigned.
Her letter, submitted to the board chair Aug. 7, cites a desire to prevent her continued presence from becoming “a further source of division” within the community.
“I understand that people are in pain and looking for answers. But this rush to judgment — fueled by social media and encouraged by people who don’t know us — has created a firestorm that distracts from what really matters,” Jurasek wrote. “I’m saddened by how quickly some in this town have turned on us, and I’m concerned that the attention now falling on the school board is interfering with its work.”
The resignation follows mounting community pressure stemming from the May crash that killed 17-year-old Ava Crews. Crews was riding as a passenger in a side-by-side ATV that crashed while driven by another teen on Northwest Gillihan Road on Sauvie Island.
An open letter with hundreds of signatures was circulated in June, alleging that the party was held at Jurasek’s home and that there is a history of underage drinking occurring at the property. The letter asked the school district to conduct an investigation into Jurasek and issue a statement calling for her resignation. It also asks the Multnomah County District Attorney to explore criminal charges against Jurasek.
Read full story here.
The Portland Tribune and its parent company Carpenter Media Group are KOIN 6 News media partners