St. Helens School District releases long-awaited report on sex abuse allegations

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — As two former St. Helens teachers face sex abuse charges and a former high school principal faces charges for failing to report, the school district has been ordered to release a highly anticipated investigative report into allegations of sexual abuse.

View full report here

Now, parents are reacting to the release of the bombshell report into how the district and staff handled allegations that led to the arrests.

“We’re going to know who was who and if it’s been dealt with,” said Jenni Gilbert, a St. Helens parent. “We’re finally going to be able to relax and I think we can move forward and feel like our children are in a safe environment now.”

KOIN 6 News previous coverage: St. Helens School District sex abuse

The district launched a third-party investigation on December 2, 2024, after multiple charges of alleged sex abuse were brought against high school choir teacher Eric Stearns and former teacher Mark Collins.

According to the report, Stearns remained in the classroom for nearly a month after police told the district he was under investigation for sex abuse — the subpoena was served to the St. Helens Human Resources lead.

The investigation also found a total of eight instances between 2016 and 2024 where school administrators had the opportunity to intervene and potentially stop the alleged sexual conduct and suspected abuse attributed to Stearns, but failed to do so.

Additionally, criminal charges were lodged against St. Helens High School Principal Dr. Katy Wagner, who stands accused of failing to protect students. All three staff members pleaded not guilty to the charges. 

“What happened. Who knew what? What did they do once they knew what they knew?” District spokesperson Jamie Marie, of J. Marie & Associates, told the press in December. “So, we will have clarity on that with the report from the third-party investigation.”

Despite the district’s promise that results would be shared within 60 days, delays turned into an indefinite hold in March. This was when then-acting Superintendent Karen Gray announced the district would no longer release the report, arguing that under threat of litigation, it was attorney-client privilege. 

“Dr. Steve Webb [former acting superintendent] had promised it to the parents as a way to heal and find out what was really going on, and then it went silent, and then they weren’t going to give it to us,” Gilbert recalled. “We were sending our kids back to school, we didn’t know if they were safe at the time. It was an awful feeling to deal with.”

But on Aug. 22, Special Deputy District Attorney Adam Gibbs, appointed by Columbia County District Attorney Joshua Pond, ruled the report did not involve attorney-client privilege because its purpose was to increase transparency.

Gibbs ruled in favor of two petitions for release of the records, ordering the report be made public with redactions to student names.

“Based on the underlying facts, the contents of the records, the intense media coverage, the public outrage, and the multiple public-facing statements by SHSD, I find that petitioner has satisfied this burden…” Gibbs wrote. “I find that the public interest overrides all conditional exemptions asserted by SHSD … Accordingly, neither the report nor the engagement letter are subject to attorney-client privilege.”

“I agree with him,” Gilbert said. “I think that this was such a widely known story and affected so many people that I think the best course of action is to release the report and let people move forward.”

St. Helens parent Ashley Christner was one of the two parties to petition for the release of the report, after her public records request was denied by the district in July. 

Christner shared the following statement with KOIN 6 News: 

“I petitioned release of the investigation report because the district promised transparency, then walked it back once the report was complete. The district allowed Stearns to remain in the classroom for nearly a month after being notified of the criminal investigation, and claimed law enforcement advised it. Both DA Pond and Acting Chief Hoague publicly denied that. So who made that call? The report must be released. The community deserves answers.”

KOIN 6 has reached out to the St. Helens School District following this order and again on Friday for comment. This story will be updated when we hear back.