A former Portland principal who was pushed out of her school after a fourth-grader brought crack cocaine onto campus in 2019 is now teaching kindergarten at another Portland Public Schools building — under a legally changed name. State licensing records confirm that Diana Kruger, once the principal of Arleta K-8, and Diana Madarieta, currently listed as a kindergarten teacher in Room 2 at Sitton Elementary School, are the same person.
The Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission confirmed the identity match through state educator licensing records, according to KOIN.com, which first reported on Kruger's return to the classroom. Court filings show Kruger petitioned Washington County Circuit Court on July 16 to change her name to Diana Madarieta, just weeks before the new school year began. Madarieta has not responded to KOIN's inquiries, made on at least two occasions, and Portland Public Schools has not yet explained to the outlet the process that led to her return to a classroom role.
The 2019 Arleta Incident
The controversy traces back to October 28, 2019, when a fourth-grade student at Arleta K-8 brought crack cocaine to campus and pressured a third-grade student to ingest it, according to historical reporting from OPB. The younger child was hospitalized as a result. Parents criticized the school's handling of the child's medical care, and per parents, police identified the substance as crack cocaine, according to KOIN's reporting.
Parents also criticized the school's communication with the family, per KOIN. That anger was compounded by what OPB reported separately: initial emails sent to parents described the ingested substance merely as a “white powder,” while selective follow-up phone calls later revealed it was crack cocaine, according to KGW. Parents forced Kruger out of her principal position after criticizing her for failing to call 911 or poison control upon learning a student had ingested crack cocaine on school grounds, per OPB's reporting. More than 50 parents contacted Portland Public Schools seeking action against Kruger, per KOIN's reporting.
Reassignment, Not Termination
Portland Public Schools removed Kruger as Arleta's principal, but the district said she remained employed by the district. In December 2019, Regional Superintendent Esther Omogbehin formally notified Arleta families that Kruger's removal was permanent and appointed interim principal John Horn to finish out the academic year, per OPB's account. Per PPS, Kruger was reassigned to a central-office position rather than terminated.
State legislative records show that by April 2023, Kruger was serving in the PPS central office as Program Administrator for K-5 English, Language Arts, and Social Studies, according to records from the Oregon State Legislature. That administrative post kept her off a school campus for years even as she stayed on the district payroll.
Budget Cuts Reshaped Central Office Roles
Kruger's years-long stint in the central office coincided with a period of financial strain across Portland Public Schools. In January, the district proposed eliminating 108 central office positions for the 2026–27 school year to help close a $50 million budget shortfall, as Hoodline previously reported. That restructuring pushed a wave of central-office administrators back into school buildings, though the dossier does not establish whether Kruger's own move to Sitton was directly prompted by those cuts — a question that remains unresolved.
Oregon Administrative Rule OAR 584-020-0040 defines “gross neglect of duty” for educators to include serious inattention to professional responsibilities, and OAR 584-020-0041 requires district chief administrators to report suspected educator misconduct to the state commission within 30 days, according to rules published by the Oregon Secretary of State. It remains unclear whether TSPC ever formally investigated or sanctioned Kruger's license under that rule, or whether Sitton Elementary parents have been told about her background — both open questions in the case.
District Silence Continues
KOIN asked Portland Public Schools to confirm Madarieta's current employment and to detail her employment history within the district, but the outlet reports it has not received answers on either point. KOIN also asked the district to explain the process leading to her return to classroom teaching. The outlet says it will update its reporting when Portland Public Schools responds.
The case echoes other recent friction between PPS families and district leadership over how administrative decisions get made and communicated. Hoodline reported in May that Rosa Parks teachers pushed back hard against a surprise principal placement, and in August, a Portland mother sued the district after a year-long ban she said cost her child a graduation ceremony. For now, Diana Madarieta remains listed in Room 2 at Sitton Elementary, with parents and reporters alike still waiting on the district to explain how she got there.
