A West Salem High School instructional assistant is on paid administrative leave after getting into a fight with a student during the school’s lunch period on Monday, school officials confirmed Thursday. Principal Carlos Ruiz notified West Salem families of the fight Monday afternoon via a message on the district’s ParentSquare app. “During our lunch period, a physical altercation broke out between a student and a staff member. Nearby staff members intervened to de-escalate the situation to keep people safe. We are working directly with those involved and impacted by this incident as we learn more about what occurred,” Ruiz wrote. His email did not identify the employee or provide further details about what led to the fight. Salem-Keizer School District spokesman Aaron Harada said the employee involved is on leave as the district investigates the fight. That means the employee receives their regular salary, but does not come to school or perform any work for the district. That is district policy in cases where an employee is being internally investigated. Harada said he did not have other details about the cause of the fight or whether anyone was injured. Dispatch records show Salem police responded to the school around 1:30 p.m. Monday for a report of third-degree assault and left about three hours later. A Salem Police Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions about whether the agency was investigating the fight or had cited anyone. Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241. A MOMENT MORE, PLEASE– If you found this story useful, consider subscribing to Salem Reporter if you don’t already. Work such as this, done by local professionals, depends on community support from subscribers. Please take a moment and sign up now – easy and secure: SUBSCRIBE. The post West Salem High School employee under investigation following fight with student appeared first on Salem Reporter.