Classes Resume at Orange County Middle School After Assistant Principal Dies on Campus

A day after an assistant principal was found dead by suicide in a private staff area on campus at Kraemer Middle School, classes were resuming Tuesday.

The middle school located at 645 N Angelina Dr. in Placentia was evacuated Monday morning after an incident was reported.

Later Monday, school officials posted a statement on the school website, saying Moises Plascencia had died by suicide in a private staff area on campus.

"It is with an extremely heavy heart that I write to you today as the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District (PYLUSD) community has experienced an unfathomable tragedy. Our assistant principal at Kraemer Middle, Moises Plascencia, took his own life in a private staff area on the school’s campus this morning. Fellow staff members and students were not present nor was the occurrence witnessed by anyone. The Placentia Police Department (PPD) responded swiftly to our request for support," Principal Michael Young said in a statement on the school's website.

Young discovered the body in a locked private staff bathroom. No students saw the body.

"He was a father, husband, brother, and friend to so many in our school district community. His passing, and the manner in which it occurred, has left us devastated, confused, and heartbroken; however, we ask that you please respect his family’s privacy during this incredibly difficult time," the statement said.

Any student or staff member seeking support or resources following the tragedy was told to see the school's front office.

Plascencia began working in the district in 1998 and was promoted to assistant principal at Kraemer in 2014, district spokeswoman Alyssa Griffiths said.

This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide please call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.