Days after two high school teachers were arrested and charged with child sexual assault, the vice chair of the St. Helens School Board announced Thursday that a middle school teacher in the St. Helens School District is being investigated by local authorities for suspected criminal activity.
During a brief virtual meeting of the school board, vice chair Trinity Monahan announced that the district was working with police and that the middle school teacher who is the subject of the inquiry had been placed on administrative leave. Monahan offered no other information and did not identify the teacher.
Following the arrests for child sexual abuse at St. Helens High School, our school community is currently dealing with a crisis that we find horrifying and extremely sad. “Monahan said.” Due process and privacy regulations must be followed, and since this is an ongoing inquiry, we are unable to comment at this time.
The Oregon Department of Human Services also said Thursday that it is looking into district superintendent Scot Stockwell and Katy Wagner, the principal of St. Helens High School, separately for alleged maltreatment after they failed to report child safety concerns.
After rage at school officials erupted in the small Columbia County community, resulting in kids walking to the streets to protest and the district suspending its schools for several days, Stockwell and Wagner were both placed on paid administrative leave last week.
School personnel are obligated by law in Oregon to notify authorities of any allegations of child abuse or neglect. School administrators were accused by several parents and children of ignoring or concealing reports of the alleged abuse.
According to a Department of Human Services representative, the department is looking into the claims of sexual assault against the two teachers who were arrested: former math teacher Mark Collins and choir teacher Eric Stearns.
According to agency spokesperson Jake Sunderland, the state department is still looking into two more St. Helens High School staff members who may have been sexually abused. However, Joseph Hogue, the acting chief of police in St. Helens, stated that his department was not looking into either of the two.
Reports of child abuse by non-family members, such as teachers, are looked into by the Department of Human Services Office of Training, Investigations, and Safety.
According to Sunderland, these inquiries usually take 30 days, and rulings can be challenged.
According to Monahan, the district will meet again on Monday to finalize the nomination of a temporary acting superintendent to replace Stockwell.
According to Monahan, the interim superintendent will be responsible for communicating with investigators, acting as the district and school board’s spokesperson, and making sure that daily operations remain steady.
Julia Silverman writes for The Oregonian/OregonLive about K–12 education. You can email her at [email protected].
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