On Friday, Governor Tina Kotek entered the ongoing sexual abuse crisis at the St. Helens School District and threatened to step in if the district did not act swiftly to choose new leadership.
In a statement to the community posted on the city of St. Helens’ Facebook page, Kotek stated, “I understand that an acting superintendent will be appointed swiftly.” I am ready to elevate the state’s involvement with the district and suggest an interim superintendent if this expectation is not fulfilled within 14 days.
The severity of the crisis in St. Helens is highlighted by the extremely uncommon governmental inspection of a local school district in Oregon.
Two high school employees—one a present instructor and the other a retired educator—have been arrested and charged with sexually abusing kids. In addition, St. Helens police said in a statement Thursday that a teacher at St. Helens Middle School is being investigated criminally for actions involving students, but they provided no further information.
According to spokeswoman Jake Sunderland, the state Department of Human Services is conducting an administrative inquiry into two additional high school staff members for alleged sexual assault following allegations to the Oregon Child assault Hotline. He refused to comment further. Joseph Hogue, acting police chief, stated that they are not being investigated criminally.
The Oregon Department of Human Services also revealed that it is investigating Katy Wagner, the principle of St. Helens High School, and Superintendent Scot Stockwell for allegedly failing to report child abuse as required. Every employee at the institution is required to report.
Both Wagner and Stockwell are on paid administrative leave.
People in the community have demanded that both of them step down, arguing that they permitted staff workers to be with children long after the district was aware that they were being investigated criminally.
Amid the community outcry, Ryan Scholl, the chair of the St. Helens School Board, also resigned last week.
Kotek stated in her letter that the Department of Human Services will share the results of its investigations with the school district and local law enforcement so that they can take the necessary action to hold those responsible for failing to report suspected child abuse accountable.
The fresh accusations and inquiries come after Stockwell promised last year that no additional pupils would be mistreated and the school district paid out $3.5 million to a former student who had been assaulted by another teacher earlier this year.
While kids and their families protested the district’s handling of the most recent claims, St. Helens schools were shuttered for three days.
Eric Stearns, 46, a choir instructor at St. Helens High School, is accused with seven counts of second-degree sexual assault and one count of third-degree abuse. From 2015 to 2020, Stearns is alleged to have inappropriately touched six students.
Two counts of second-degree sexual abuse and one count of attempted second-degree sexual abuse of three kids from 2017 to January 2023 are against Mark Collins, 64, a retired math teacher at St. Helens High School. According to the indictment, he is charged with caressing the student’s inner thighs or, in one instance, trying to get the youngster to touch his penis.
Last week, Stearns and Collins were taken into custody. Both have entered not guilty pleas.
Julia Silverman writes for The Oregonian/OregonLive about K–12 education. You can contact her at [email protected].
This report was contributed to by Maxine Bernstein, a reporter from Oregon.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!
