An image of Gillihan Road on Sauvie Island. (File Photo/Columbia County Spotlight)

Community members are calling for an investigation into a Scappoose school board member who they allege facilitated underage drinking that led to the death of Scappoose High School student Ava Crews.

According to court records, 17-year-old Crews was at a party May 18 with a group of other teenagers who were allegedly drinking alcohol in a barn on Sauvie Island to celebrate finishing their final exams. Ayden Heard, 18, was driving an all-terrain vehicle with Crews and another person at the party as passengers. Court documents state it did not appear the teens were wearing seat belts or helmets.

Those at the property told a deputy that Heard made a sharp turn, causing the ATV to flip. Crews fractured her skull on the vehicle’s roll bar in the crash, according to court documents. The other passenger in the vehicle escaped to get help, but when law enforcement arrived, Crews wasn’t breathing. She died from her injuries at the scene.

Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office deputies questioned Heard and conducted a sobriety test. Heard now faces charges for second-degree manslaughter  — a felony crime  — and two counts of recklessly endangering another person.

In a letter to the school board and the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, which is prosecuting the case, community members questioned whether the right people are being held accountable for the incident.

“It is particularly egregious that Ayden Heard, a Scappoose High School student, faces legal consequences for the crash while Branda Jurasek, an adult and school board member, appears to face none,” the letter reads.

Court documents show the crash occurred off N.W. Gillihan Road, where Scappoose school board Vice Chair Branda Jurasek and Matthew Dierdorff own a property. Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Mackenzie Ludwig noted that there is a history of reckless behavior occurring on the property.

“It should be noted that this is not the first time a group of individuals has been on this

property driving and riding in these types of vehicles after consuming alcohol,” Ludwig wrote in a court document. “There was no adult supervision present or in the area when the death occurred.”

The letter, which had 460 signatures as of Friday afternoon, June 13, implores the district attorney to open an investigation into Jurasek and Dierdorff for allegedly facilitating underage drinking on their property and contributing to Crews’ death.

“We have seen the online letter but we can not comment on it directly,” Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office spokesperson Pat Dooris said. “This is still a very active investigation.  We are reviewing all the evidence gathered thus far and are interested in learning more. If anyone has information they have not shared with law enforcement, we ask you to come forward now.”

The letter also asks the school board to conduct an investigation into Jursek and issue a statement calling for her resignation. It also calls for board Chair Phil Lager to recuse himself from the investigation due to alleged familial ties to the incident.

No members of the Scappoose school board responded to a request for comment.