Parents demand records, policy changes after sixth‑grade outdoor‑school incident; district ends provider contract

Two parents pressed the Estacada School District at its March 11 board meeting to disclose a full investigation and change supervision policies after concerns about last week’s sixth‑grade outdoor school.

Nicole Dodson, a parent of a child who attended the trip, said she handed the board a document titled “what do student leaders do” and said that document appears to contradict the district’s public statements. “Tonight, I am here to speak about how our district is failing to uphold these expectations following last week’s program,” Dodson said, adding that parents were left asking how the situation happened and why families were not given accurate information when concerns first arose.

Another parent, Zach Hillegas, told the board he and other parents received consistent reports from students and alleged that a biological male high‑school student leader was assigned to a girls’ cabin and was present during an intimate hygiene activity without what the parents considered proper adult supervision. “The district has a non‑negotiable duty to protect every child’s privacy, safety, and dignity in overnight settings,” Hillegas said, and he asked the board to release the investigation timeline and records (redacted only as required by law), adopt a policy requiring biological‑sex‑based adult supervision for hygiene/changing and overnight activities, mandate parental notification and an opt‑out process for mixed or self‑identification accommodations in private settings, and pause overnight outdoor school until safeguards are in place.

Superintendent Carpenter addressed the board earlier in the meeting to clarify the district’s understanding of the events and to summarize immediate steps. Carpenter said a male student leader did not sleep in the girls’ cabin and that overnight supervision in the cabin was provided by a female outdoor‑school staff member. He described a shower‑time sequence in which “a male student leader escorted a group to the bathhouse so they would not miss their scheduled time, and remained at the entrance while the students used the separate shower area.”

Carpenter acknowledged that the situation created discomfort and a loss of trust for some families and called the incident “unacceptable.” He announced that the district will not continue to use the same third‑party partner for outdoor‑school programs and that it will conduct a broader review of how outdoor school is offered — including considering different host organizations, day‑trip formats instead of overnight stays, and structural changes to the program. “We invite our community to be a part of this conversation,” Carpenter said, adding that the goal is to work collaboratively to determine the best path forward for students.

Parents at the meeting said the district’s initial public statements and later clarifications are inconsistent with documents they possess and with what students reported; they urged the board to release investigation records and adopt clearer, sex‑based supervision rules for private hygiene activities. Board members did not record a formal vote to pause outdoor school during the March 11 meeting; the superintendent’s statement and the parents’ requests are the most recent public developments. The district has said it is ending its contract with the provider and will pursue an internal review and community conversation about outdoor‑school practices.

What’s next: Parents requested the board direct immediate release of the investigation timeline and related records (redacted as needed by law) and to consider a policy requiring biological‑sex‑based adult supervision during hygiene and overnight activities. The board has not recorded a formal, public action to adopt those policies as of the March 11 meeting.