Principal and staff on leave after community learned district knew of teachers’ claims of alleged sexual abuse

Two male high school teachers were arrested for alleged sexual abuse, and the school’s principal and superintendent were placed on administrative leave over the school’s handling of the investigation, according to St. Helens School District Press Release.

Eric Stearns and Mark Collins were both arrested on Tuesday, November 12 for alleged sexual assault. The school board has appointed director Dr. Katy Wagner and Superintendent Scot Stockwell were placed on administrative leave on Thursday, November 14 and Friday, November 15.

Stearns, 46, is currently a choir teacher at St. Helens High School, and Collins, 64, worked there as a math teacher before his retirement. Their arrests come after St. Helens Police Chief Joseph Hogue investigated Stearns for two months.

Hogue received a tip about a TikTok video referencing Stearns’ inappropriate behavior. Authorities subsequently interviewed those involved or commented on the video. During the investigation, Collins’ name came up.

On Wednesday, November 13, Stearns pleaded not guilty to seven charges that he sexually assaulted six different students between 2015 and January 2024, according to court documents: KATU 2 reports. Stearns was eligible for bail, which was set at $150,000.

The next day, Collins, who was accused of inappropriately touching minors at school between 2017 and 2023, was charged with two counts of second-degree sexual abuse and one count of attempted second-degree sexual abuse. Collins was released on the condition that he have no contact with minors or where minors congregate. Collins also cannot contact the minors involved in the case.

After their arrests, Chief Hogue said, “A lot of the information that (police) got from the victims in this case was that the victims had reported some of this information to the school district, and in many cases they discovered that there was data of That.”

Several students and parents said the school had known about the investigation for months, but Stearns was still allowed to teach. After the initial arrests, the school board held a meeting on November 13 and several people protested against the board.

During the Wednesday meeting, the school board acknowledged that they were aware that Stearns was under police investigation. According to KKG8the school board and school officials ignored allegations from students and parents over the years.

On Thursday, the school released a statement confirming that classes would be canceled on Thursday and Friday. Students and parents protested against the school on both days.

“When someone reports things like this, they get the feeling that it’s not that big of a problem, like they just want it to go away,” said Brandon Hogan, a parent who is considering removing his children from the neighborhood. KKG8.

“The school hasn’t really done anything,” sophomore Lucy Durant said, per KGW8.

On Friday afternoon, the district announced that Wagner has been placed on paid administrative leave. The announcement confirmed that Ryan Scholl has resigned as chairman of the board and that Trinity Monahan will become vice chairman.

On Friday evening, the board held an additional virtual meeting and voted to also place Superintendent Stockwell on paid administrative leave.

“We have heard the concerns that have been raised and are committed to transparency and working to promote a safe, supportive environment for all students,” the district’s communications director Stacey Mendoza said in a statement to PEOPLE on Friday.

A representative for the St. Helens Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for more information on Friday.

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If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the crisis text line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.