Oregon school board chair resigns, superintendent and principal on leave over sex abuse arrests

ST. HELENS, Ore. — A school district in northwest Oregon has put its superintendent and high school principal on leave, accepted the school board chair's resignation and temporarily canceled classes in response to an uproar over the arrests of a teacher and former teacher on sexual abuse charges.

The St. Helens Police Department said in a statement that officers this week arrested one current and one retired St. Helens High School teacher on allegations of sexually abusing students. Police said the arrests came after a two-month investigation.

The district canceled classes and after-school events on Thursday and Friday following demonstrations at the school during which students called for St. Helens School District Superintendent Scot Stockwell, High School Principal Katy Wagner and all school board members to resign or be removed.

Wagner has since been placed on paid leave and Board Chair Ryan Scholl resigned from his position, district officials said in a post on social media Friday. Stockwell was placed on paid leave during a school board meeting Friday afternoon, according to another district social media post.

Protesting parents and students told Oregon Public Broadcasting that their anger stemmed from the appearance that school officials knew about and failed to act on allegations against the teachers for years.

Choir teacher Eric Stearns, 46, is facing seven counts of second-degree sex abuse and one count of third-degree sex abuse involving six students, according to police. Stearns pleaded not guilty to the charges in Columbia County Circuit Court on Wednesday, KATU-TV reported.

Recently retired math teacher Mark Collins, 64, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to two counts of second-degree sex abuse and one count of attempted second-degree sex abuse. The allegations against Collins involve three students, police said.

Attempts by The Associated Press to find contact information for Stearns and Collins on Friday were unsuccessful, and no attorneys were listed for them in jail records.

St. Helens Acting Police Chief Joseph Hogue told the media outlet Friday that his department subpoenaed the district in October and found historical reports made by students detailing allegations against the teachers. State law requires school districts to inform law enforcement or state officials about such reports, Hogue said.

“There were multiple historical reports made to high school administration from 2019 to 2023 and this also corroborated the victim statements that (detectives) had previously received,” he said.

Columbia County District Attorney Joshua Pond said Friday his office is investigating whether the district broke any laws by not forwarding the reports to law enforcement.

On Friday evening, district officials said the high school would remain closed Monday while staff makes what officials called necessary arrangements for a safe return to school Tuesday.

“Our goal is to ensure a safe and positive learning environment, with clear steps toward addressing the concerns of our students, families, and community members,” the district statement said.

St. Helens is a small city located about 28 miles (45 kilometers) northwest of Portland, Oregon, along the Columbia River.