School district seeks answers in fecal matter case

YAKIMA, Wash. -- Here’s one local teacher’s remedy for a 5-year-old who can’t use the potty: Send the kid home with his own mess.

At least that’s the allegation that West Valley School District officials are investigating.

School district officials say they are looking into the “unfortunate thing” at a Apple Valley Elementary School kindergarten class and will announce their findings today.

When the child returned from school last Friday, his mother found more than notebooks in his backpack, according to boy’s father.

She found a plastic bag of human feces with a sticky note attached: “This little turd was found on the floor in my room.”

School officials met with the boy’s parents Wednesday night about the incident.

West Valley School District Superintendent Peter Ansingh said he couldn’t disclose any details about the allegations.

“We’re working with the family to resolve the issue,” he said.

Ansingh said the teacher, Sue Graham, has not been disciplined and more information on the investigation will be made public today.

The 58-year-old teacher didn’t return phone calls to her Yakima home seeking comment Wednesday.

Outside Graham’s house later that evening, a woman who identified herself as Graham’s mother said her daughter wasn’t home and probably wouldn’t talk about it.

“Everyone has already formed an opinion anyway,” she said.

The incident, meanwhile, is taking on a media life of its own. The story, a report by KOMO-TV in Seattle was picked up by CNN, local television stations and Web sites all over the country.

The boy’s parents aren’t sure what action to take.

“We’re talking about placing him in a different school,” his father said.

He said there was no indication that what the teacher found on the floor came from his son, and he’s not sure his son even knew his teacher had put it in his backpack.

“He was in a good mood when he got home,” he said.

The father admits he’s twice gone to the school previously to help his son clean up after going to the bathroom, but said his son never had an accident in class.

“He went to the bathroom and just didn’t get himself cleaned all the way,” he said. “He didn’t poop on the floor ever or in his pants.”

On Friday, the father said he received a call from the teacher informing him that her class stunk and asked if his son may have had an accident.

The boy’s father said he told the teacher that he may have, and that there were extra clothes in his backpack.

“She has not had to clean up anything except for the piece of waste she picked up from the floor on Friday and assumed that it came from (my son),” he said.

• Phil Ferolito can be reached at 509-577-7749 or pferolito@yakimaherald.com.