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(Bethany Barnes/The Oregonian)

The principal of North Portland's Astor School has been put on leave following a police investigation that began last week after an incident in a classroom.

Karl Newsome's leave follows a contentious meeting with parents on Wednesday.

The K-8 principal called the meeting to answer questions concerning a police investigation involving a middle school teacher's conduct, but parents were adamant that it was simply the most extreme plot development in what they say has been a years-long drama at the school.

Newsome looked nervous and fatigued as he fielded questions from angry parents for more than an hour and a half.



At the meeting, a senior director for the district that oversees Astor, apologized to parents.

"I just want to apologize for (Portland Public Schools) and what your kids have experienced," senior director Molly Chun said. "It is not right, it is not just, and we need to take care of it."

Parent Susan Starman read aloud a letter (PDF) several parents had signed expressing grief over Astor's inaction regarding concerns about safety and the quality of education.

Most of the complaints concern the education and treatment of seventh- and eighth-grade students.

Unstable and unaccountable teaching were big issues at Wednesday's meeting. Earlier this month, students staged a walkout in response to the district yanking an advanced math teacher because enrollment didn't justify his position at the school.

The year before, seventh graders had an array of substitutes for language arts while a teacher was on leave. The instability resulted in dismal grades. After parents pushed over the summer, Newsome apologized to the students.

In a note sent to Astor families on Friday morning, Chun announced that Newsome was on leave and that Dana Jacobs, a former principal from Rose City Park and Creston schools, would take over as acting administrator.

Newsome refused to speak to a reporter from The Oregonian/OregonLive who attended the Wednesday meeting.

Chun declined to comment for this article.

At the meeting, Newsome offered no information to parents about what prompted police to show up to a middle school grade classroom.

Sgt. Pete Simpson, a Portland police spokesman, has said that officers were called "to investigate the report that a teacher was behaving inappropriately in class and with students."

Simpson said the teacher has not been arrested, but that "preliminary information given to police indicates the behavior could be considered criminal conduct."

-- Bethany Barnes