By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2024-11-27 18:42:58 | Updated at 2024-11-27 20:49:01
2 hours ago
An Oregon high school principal was slapped with felony charges Tuesday for turning a blind eye to years of sexual abuse against teenage girls by “pedophile” teachers who “groomed” their students, authorities said.
St. Helens High School principal Katy Wagner was charged with two counts of felony criminal mistreatment after two teachers under her supervision were arrested for a nearly 10-year sex crime spree, NBC 16 reported.
The school had received complaints against choir teacher Eric Stearns, 46, and recently retired teacher Mark Collins, 64, as early as 2019, but Wagner failed to inform law enforcement and even allowed Stearns to stay in the classroom after police launched their investigation.
The teachers’ November 12 arrests caused an uproar among parents and students, who staged protests near campus and blasted officials at a school board meeting, claiming they had brushed off years of red flags against the “pedophile” teachers who “groomed” their students.
The drama began in September, when former student Doug Weaver, 36, posted TikTok videos accusing school officials of protecting “a collection” of male teachers who preyed on kids when he attended St. Helens High in the ’00s.
Current students responded to the videos claiming the pervy behavior was still going on, sharing their own stories of stalking, lewd comments, and inappropriate touching at the hands of Stearns and Collins.
Stearns faces charges of sexual abuse against six underage girls between 2015 and 2024, while Collins has been accused of abusing three students between 2017 and 2023.
When their victims spoke up, they were ignored or even punished by Wagner and other officials, parents and students claimed at a school board meeting held after the arrests.
“Why haven’t you done anything?” one student said, naming school staff beyond the two arrested teachers. “[We] don’t want to be around pedophiles!”
Another student said that when she was 14 years old, Stearns would hound her in the classroom and during lunch break, hugging her, kissing her on the head, and saying he loved her.
She said when her mother complained, Wagner refused to intervene, forcing her to hire an attorney to explore legal protections for her daughter.
“I’m surprised admin has the courage to show their face,” the student said, adding, to the board members: “You are all to blame. You are all guilty.”
On Tuesday, Columbia County indicted Wagner for failing to report child abuse and not providing physical care to students, according to a court document viewed by NBC 16.
On top of the felonies, Wagner faces four misdemeanor charges: two counts of first-degree official misconduct and two counts of second-degree official misconduct.
The state Department of Human Services is also investigating Wagner — as well as St. Helens School District superintendent Scot Stockwell — for failing to report the complaints to law enforcement, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.
