[Editor’s note: Readers should be aware that this story contains a graphic description of animal abuse.]

Beef is no longer on the menu at Coos Bay schools after the district learned its meat may have come from cattle reportedly brutally handled in a California slaughterhouse.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it was investigating allegations that workers at Hallmark Meat Packing Co. had abused animals before slaughtering them. Cattle butchered by Hallmark, based in Chino, Calif., are supplied to the Westland Meat Co., which processes the carcasses and distributes them throughout much of the country. One of its customers is the USDA’s Commodity Food Distribution Program, which is overseen by the Oregon Department of Education and provides Coos Bay schools with much of its beef.

The Coos Bay School District learned of the USDA’s investigation last week and decided to pull the meat Monday.

“They weren’t saying there were any problems with the meat, but the more we thought about it, the more we thought it didn’t make sense to keep serving it if there was any health risk,” said Rod Danielson, the district’s business manager.

None of Westland’s meat has been linked to human illness, though some animals were thought to be sick when they were butchered. Video images taken by The Humane Society of the United States, showed plant workers jabbing the eyes of “downer” dairy cows — those too sick or injured to walk — to force them into the slaughterhouse. Federal regulations call for keeping downer cows out of the food supply because they may pose a higher risk of E. coli, salmonella contamination or mad cow disease.

Danielson said the district receives a shipment of beef from the state about every other month. Though it has been a while since the district received a shipment and no students have reported illness from eating the district’s beef, district officials are not taking any chances. He was not sure how much beef the district has at the present time.

“We are just not touching any beef in our storage until we find out it is safe to serve,” he said. “And if it’s not found to be 100 percent safe, we will make other arrangements.”

Danielson estimated that beef is included in about half the meals served in Coos Bay. For now, chicken and turkey will serve as meat options for students, though he said the district may look for alternative sources of beef if the USDA investigation of Westland takes a long time.

Other school districts in the county have also taken note of the USDA investigation and taken precautions, though generally less severe than Coos Bay.

At about 1 p.m. on Tuesday, North Bend Food Services Director Rhonda Hoffine learned that frozen beef patties distributed to Myrtle Point, Coquille, Reedsport and North Bend schools were not a part of the batch in question.

“I’m just thrilled,” Hoffine said, “it’s just like a huge relief.”

 The good news came just a day after an administrative hold was put on beef from Pierre Foods, which processes meat given to Hoffine’s schools by the Oregon Department of Education and the United States Department of Agriculture. On Monday, Hoffine received an e-mail from the ODE stating there was some concern that meat from Westland Meat Packing Co. had been processed by Pierre, including about 75 cases — about 12,000 precooked beef patties — intended for schools in North Bend, Coquille, Myrtle Point and Reedsport. Rather than tossing the meat, North Bend staff stored it in the district’s freezer on 1391 Crowell Lane in North Bend until the origin of the beef can be confirmed.

While the districts waited for a clearance from Pierre, Hoffine said they continued to serve beef patties and hamburgers. However, that meat came from processing companies not in the spotlight. Some changes also were made to school menus to remove the focus on ground beef. Instead, children dined on tacos with turkey crumbles and some chicken dishes.

“It’s not a drastic change,” Hoffine said Tuesday morning.

She added that while the USDA sent out e-mailed advisories about the meat, beginning Jan. 30, North Bend did not act until its processor appeared on the list. When it did, North Bend put an immediate hold on the meat, Hoffine said.

So far, no one has become sick from the meat, Hoffine said, emphasizing the USDA investigation had little to do with food safety issues.

“It’s a little frustrating because we have product on hand that we can’t use, but again it gives confirmation that our recall system does work.”

Powers School District was not affected by the announcement, because it does not purchase any meat from the state program.

Bandon Food Service Director Sharon Haga said she learned about the situation at Westland on Jan. 28, three days before the state warned school districts, from an online search. She immediately postponed using a recent shipment of beef the district received from the state.

Haga noted that Bandon supplements the food it receives from the state with meat products from SYSCO Food Services. So while the 400 pounds of  beef Bandon got from the state remains in a freezer, students may still eat red meat that is known not to come from Westland.

“We have beef crumble that came from a completely different source,” Haga said.

Haga said she was asked to watch the videos of animal cruelty performed at Westland and was disgusted by them. She said she might ask the Bandon School Board permission to dispose of the meat rather than serve it, even if it is found to be safe.

“Even if they said it’s OK, I’d probably throw (the beef) out,” she said. “I’m not going to compromise my values just to save a few bucks.”