PORTLAND — A longtime teacher's aide was put on administrative leave Wednesday after she allegedly brought a handgun into the Riverton Community School.
School officials said the woman may have brought the gun into the elementary school unintentionally, but parents of students were still shocked when they learned about the incident from an automated telephone message Wednesday evening.
Superintendent James Morse said several students saw the gun in a bag belonging to the school employee and drew attention to it. The woman immediately removed the bag containing the gun from the school, put it in her car and reported the incident to Principal Nancy Kopack.
"It was never (brandished) about or handled by anyone," Morse said. "Given her immediate response, it appears that it may have been unintentional."
Morse would not identify the woman.
Kopack sent the teacher's aide home on paid leave pending an investigation by school officials, then notified police because state and federal laws prohibit weapons in schools, Morse said.
Police were called to the school on outer Forest Avenue shortly after 2:30 p.m. for a "potential weapons violation," said Cmdr. Michael Sauschuck.
Sauschuck said nobody was hurt in the incident and nobody was charged with a crime. He wouldn't identify the type of weapon or the people involved. The incident remains under investigation, he said.
Parents who received Kopack's automated message said they were shocked that a teacher's aide would bring a gun to school, and they worried about the future safety of their children.
"I don't see how it could be an accident," said Jesus Molina, whose daughter, Amy, is a third-grader at Riverton. "People say that, but I don't believe it."
Amy's older brother, Christian, who attends Deering High School, got Kopack's automated call about 5 p.m.
Recalling the message, he said that the incident involved a teacher's aide, that it happened in the cafeteria, and that the gun was visible in a clear swim bag.
Riverton, which has about 500 students and 90 employees, is attached to a community center that includes a Portland Public Library branch and a swimming pool.
"I'm surprised one of the kids who saw (the gun) didn't try to pick it up and pull the trigger," Christian Molina said. "That's what worries me."
Leaders of the school's Parent-Teacher Organization are expected to meet with school officials today to learn more about the incident and present more information for parents.
Morse said the employee's discipline could range from a verbal warning to dismissal, depending on the outcome of the investigation.
Teachers' union officials declined to comment until they know more about the incident.
Staff Writer Kelley Bouchard can be contacted at 791-6328 or at:
kbouchard@pressherald.com
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