School Board elections could not come soon enough for St. Helens parents. Following the arrests of two teachers on sexual abuse charges, the St. Helens School District has placed its superintendent, Scot Stockwell, and high school principal, Katy Wagner, on paid administrative leave. The district has also accepted the resignation of its school board chair, Ryan Scholl.

On November 12, 2024, the St. Helens Police Department arrested Eric Stearns, a 46-year-old choir teacher at St. Helens High School facing seven counts of second-degree sex abuse and one count of third-degree sex abuse involving six students, according to police. Mark Collins, a 64-year-old former math teacher, arrested on 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. The arrests came after a two-month investigation.

Parents and students are protesting and want to know why the board didn’t take action in 2019 when they were informed of abuse allegations against Stearns, and didn’t notify authorities.

• November 12, 2024: Stearns and Collins were arrested on sexual abuse charges.
• November 14, 2024: Principal Katy Wagner was placed on administrative leave.
• November 15, 2024: School Board Chair Ryan Scholl resigned.
• November 16, 2024: Superintendent Scot Stockwell was placed on paid administrative leave.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Eric Stearns has pleaded not guilty to charges of sexually abusing six students between 2015 and January 2024. Mark Collins has pleaded not guilty on sex abuse involving three minors between 2017 and 2023. The district is also being investigated for not forwarding the report to law enforcement.

Moving forward, the district has stated its goal is to ensure a safe and positive learning environment, with clear steps to address the concerns of students, families, and community members. St. Helens School Board appointed an acting superintendent to address the rapidly escalating crisis.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-11-26 16:10:08

Last Update: 2024-11-26 19:29:10