Ten school workers put on leave during a sex abuse scandal in Oregon

Parents in a small Oregon community are criticizing their school district leadership amid an ongoing systemic sexual abuse investigation with allegations that prosecutors say stretch back at least nine years.

The St. Helens School District has now placed 10 employees on paid administrative leave as of Dec. 13 as they investigate whether the educators engaged in child sex abuse or neglected to report it. The public school district, which identified the staff Friday after being inundated with public records requests, said in a news release that being placed on paid leave was a routine step that “does not imply a presumption of wrongdoing.”

“This step allows investigations to proceed without disruption, ensuring fairness to all parties involved,” the release said. The school district enrolls about 3,000 students.

The investigation led to three November indictments for current or former employees of St. Helens High School: Principal Katy Wagner, choir teacher Eric Stearns and retired math teacher Mark Collins. All have pleaded not guilty to the charges in state court.

All three posted bail and were released last month. Collins and Stearns are barred from interacting with minors while their cases work their way through the court. Wagner is prohibited from working at a school during the trial phase.

At least nine girls, who are or were underage at the time, have come forward and accused Stearns and Collins of sexual contact.

Stearns, 46, was indicted Nov. 7 on seven felonies and one misdemeanor in an alleged history of inappropriate touching that goes back to 2015, according to court documents reviewed by the Washington Post. Stearns, who was investigated for two months before being indicted, was placed on leave Nov. 13.

Three district parents who spoke with the Post – Sarah Young, Jennifer Gilbert and Ashley Christner – questioned why the school district allowed Stearns to continue teaching while he was investigated. It is among their inquiries that have not received sufficient explanations, the parents said.

“There were some serious and systemic failures that have become more and more obvious over this last month or so,” Christner said Friday.

The school district posted in an FAQ called “Responding to Controversy” that it was looking into “when and how law enforcement officers informed the District that a criminal investigation was underway” regarding Stearns.

“We understand that this is a crucial question to be answered,” the post read. “We’ve asked the investigator to examine this to determine if the district failed to act or was instructed otherwise.”

Stearns’ attorney Jennifer L. Myrick expressed skepticism that all 10 employees on paid leave would be indicted.

“It’s a bit of a witch hunt, and it’s really unfortunate because it’s ruining people’s lives,” Myrick said.

Collins, 64, was indicted on two felony counts and one misdemeanor count of sex abuse. Court documents cite his pattern of alleged abuse, which included inappropriately touching minors and trying to get them to touch his genitals, ranged from 2017 to July 2023.

Collins’ attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Wagner, who has been the principal at St. Helens since fall 2018, was indicted on two felony counts of criminal mistreatment, two misdemeanor counts of official misconduct in the first degree and two misdemeanor counts of official misconduct in the second degree for failing to protect students and not complying with mandatory child abuse reporting requirements.

Her attorney Robert Crow said Wagner was cooperating with authorities on the investigations of Stearns and Collins before her arrest.

He said Wagner’s name was being “dragged through the mud” and unfairly grouped with the accusations levied against Stearns and Collins. The mandated reporting process is complicated, Crow said in defense of his client.

“This is not the public’s fault that they’re not aware of what she has done, what she did do, to try to protect these kids, to satisfy her legal and ethical obligations,” Crow said. “And I hope that as stuff comes out, people understand it better.”

In addition to Stearns and Wagner, the other eight staff members include Superintendent Scott Stockwell, a social studies teacher and a math teacher at St. Helens High, two campus monitors at St. Helens High, a teacher at Plymouth High and a special education instructional assistant at McBride Elementary.

The Post is not naming most of the staff members, because they have not been charged with a crime.

State and federal lawmakers have weighed in as the controversy has riled residents of St. Helens, population 14,000, which is north of Portland, on the Columbia River bordering Washington. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., said in a Nov. 22 statement that “each and every student who has been harmed must be heard.”

“The allegations that have been made to date reveal an alarming pattern, and all those involved in the failures that have led to this crisis must be held accountable for their actions and for the harm caused by their actions,” Bonamici said.

School Board Chair Ryan Scholl resigned Nov. 14, according to the district Facebook page. The same day, students and parents led a protest outside the high school, the Columbia County Spotlight reported. They held signs that read, “Speak for the ones who can’t” and “I don’t feel safe.”

Now, district parents demand the resignation of the entire school board. The board did not respond to requests for comment Friday.

“How can we trust anything coming out of their decisions,” Gilbert said, “when they were who allowed all of the situation to go on knowingly?”

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Aaron Schaffer contributed to this report.