Principal faces criminal charges for allowing two teachers to exploit teenage students in Oregon, according to police.
Authorities announced on Tuesday that a principal from an Oregon high school faces felony charges for allegedly ignoring years of sexual abuse perpetrated by teachers against teenage girls.
St. Helens High School principal Katy Wagner faces two felony charges of criminal mistreatment following the arrest of two teachers she supervised, who were involved in a nearly decade-long series of sex crimes, according to NBC 16.
Complaints were made against choir teacher Eric Stearns, 46, and recently retired teacher Mark Collins, 64, as early as 2019. However, Wagner did not notify law enforcement and permitted Stearns to remain in the classroom even after the police began their investigation.
The arrests of teachers on November 12 sparked significant outrage among parents and students, leading to protests near the campus and heated criticism of officials during a school board meeting. They argued that years of warning signs regarding the inappropriate behavior of the teachers had been ignored.
In September, former student Doug Weaver, 36, took to TikTok to allege that school officials were shielding a group of male teachers who exploited students during his time at St. Helens High in the 2000s.
Students today reacted to the videos, stating that the inappropriate behavior persists, as they shared their own experiences of stalking, lewd remarks, and unwanted touching by Stearns and Collins.
Stearns is charged with sexual abuse involving six underage girls from 2015 to 2024, and Collins faces accusations of abusing three students from 2017 to 2023.
Parents and students reported at a school board meeting following the arrests that when victims came forward, their concerns were dismissed or they faced repercussions from Wagner and other officials.
Wagner is confronted with four misdemeanor charges, including two counts of first-degree official misconduct and two counts of second-degree official misconduct.
The state Department of Human Services is looking into Wagner and St. Helens School District superintendent Scot Stockwell for not reporting the complaints to law enforcement.