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Corrective action taken against Quincy teacher after student report

by CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Staff Writer | September 2, 2026 3:25 AM

QUINCY — Quincy School District officials have issued a statement following a complaint from the guardian of a Quincy High School student that the district mishandled an allegation against a QHS teacher. 

The teacher is still employed by the school district.  

The guardian said the teacher had made her sister, a QHS student, uncomfortable on multiple occasions during the 2025-26 school year. The student reported an incident to another QHS staff member, the guardian said, and the teacher was placed on administrative leave. The guardian, however, said she believed the investigation was insufficient, and that district officials had failed to keep the student’s family informed. 

Quincy Superintendent Nik Bergman referred the Columbia Basin Herald to the statement, which said QSD officials placed the teacher on leave, reported the allegations to law enforcement and hired an independent, third-party investigator.  

Matthew Brewer, president of the Quincy Education Association, said the union did not have a statement.  

“The investigator interviewed multiple students and staff members. While was agreement about the statements that were made, there were differences in the description of the context surrounding those statements,” the QSD statement said. “Because this matter involves both a student and a staff member, the school district has legal obligations to protect student privacy and the confidentiality of personnel matters. As a result, we are limited in the details we can appropriately share, but we can confirm corrective action was taken.” 

The student and teacher will not share any classes, the statement said. It added that district officials could have communicated better with the family.  

“We recognize that we could have met with the student and family before the start of the school year to communicate those plans more clearly and provide an opportunity for discussion and feedback,” it said. “We regret that this did not occur and are reviewing our processes to strengthen communication and support for students and families in situations like this.”