Moment defiant Oregon high schoolers stand up to board for letting 'pedophile' teacher continue working

Outraged Oregon precocious schoolhouse students blasted the schoolhouse committee for letting a teacher accused of pedophilia proceed moving contempt mounting allegations.

The St. Helens School District was forced to cancel classes, spot the superintendent and precocious schoolhouse main connected permission and judge the committee chair's resignation pursuing the apprehension of 2 teachers connected kid enactment maltreatment charges.

Choir teacher Eric Stearns, 46, and retired mathematics teacher Mark Collins, 64, were arrested connected Tuesday aft constabulary conducted a two-month agelong probe into humanities intersexual maltreatment astatine St. Helens High School.

During the probe St. Helens Acting Police Chief Joseph Hogue subpoenaed the territory for records of the 2 teachers, and recovered reports students filed implicit the years of inappropriate touching that the territory did not antecedently disclose - arsenic required by law. 

Furious students and parents attended the schoolhouse committee gathering connected Wednesday, demanding answers arsenic to wherefore they allowed Stearns to proceed to thatch contempt knowing astir the investigation.

'What was your absorption to uncovering retired that Eric Stearns was an progressive pedophile with contiguous entree to minors for 2 months? You request to resign,' 1 pupil said.

'My ma specifically made complaints astir Mr. Stearns putting his manus astir my cervix arsenic a 'vocal exercise' – that, too, went swept nether the rug. You are each to blame. You are each guilty,' said another.

'I americium conscionable disgusted with you guys for letting him adjacent maine and my friends... they were fto astir a pedophile,' a 3rd pupil said.

School committee seat Ryan Scholl told the assemblage that Stearns was allowed to proceed teaching due to the fact that instrumentality enforcement had advised them not to spot him connected leave, reported KOIN.

Hogue denied that saying, 'at nary constituent did the officers archer the schoolhouse territory oregon counsel the schoolhouse territory successful immoderate mode to not enactment the teacher connected admin leave.'   

Student-led protests caused the precocious schoolhouse to adjacent connected Thursday and each territory schools were closed connected Friday arsenic dozens of enraged students and parents called for Superintendent Stockwell and St. Helens High School Principal Katy Wagner to resign. 

Stearns has present been accused of sexually abusing six students betwixt 2015 to 2020, allegedly touching their necks, chests, buttocks oregon mouths inappropriately, according to the Oregonian.

He is present facing 7 counts of second-degree enactment maltreatment and 1 number of third-degree enactment abuse, and had been teaching up until past Tuesday, a genitor whose kid was successful his choir people told KGW.

Collins is besides accused of abusing 3 students betwixt 2017 and January 21, 2023, allegedly touching their interior thighs oregon successful 1 lawsuit 'attempting to cause' the pupil to interaction his penis.

He is besides facing 2 counts of second-degree enactment maltreatment and 1 number of attempted enactment second-degree enactment abuse.

Both person pleaded not guilty, with an lawyer representing Stearns arguing that a expansive assemblage conflated the allegations against him with those against Collins. 

The schoolhouse territory yet voted unanimously to spot Stockwell connected paid administrative permission during an exigency committee gathering connected Friday, and the territory aboriginal placed Wagner connected leave. It besides announced aboriginal that time that Scholl resigned.

Stockwell had served arsenic superintendent since 2015, portion Wagner has been main since 2018. 

'We've heard the concerns that person been raised and are committed to transparency and moving toward fostering a safe, supportive situation for each students,' the territory said successful a connection Friday.

'Based disconnected of our past meeting, it was beauteous wide that astatine this point, the assemblage has mislaid religion successful a fig of antithetic things for the district, the superintendent, the boards.

'For the purposes of america to beryllium capable to determination forward, I judge it's going to beryllium successful our champion involvement to marque towards placing our existent superintendent connected paid administrative leave.'