Oregon students blast school board after 2 activist teachers arrested on sex abuse charges—district sat on the allegations for years

46-year-old Eric Stearns was arrested in St. Helens on Tuesday and is a current teacher at the school, and 64-year-old Mark Collins, who is retired, was arrested on Tuesday in Beaverton, according to KGW8.

Stearns was indicted on seven counts of second-degree sexual abuse and one count of third-degree sexual abuse. Collins was indicted on two counts of second-degree sexual abuse and one count of second-degree attempted sexual abuse.

The investigation, police said, was prompted by allegations of "historical sexual abuse at the school." St Helens Acting Police Chief Joseph Hogue subpoenaed the district for records on the two teachers during the investigation, which returned reports filed by students over multiple years of inappropriate touching that the district had not previously disclosed in violation of law, the Daily Mail reported.

At a school board meeting Wednesday, current students and parents demanded answers as to why Sterns was allowed to continue teaching despite the investigation and allegations.

"My mom specifically made complaints about Mr. Stearns putting his hand around my neck as a 'vocal exercise' – that, too, went swept under the rug. You are all to blame. You are all guilty," one student said.

Another told the board, "What was your reaction to finding out that Eric Stearns was an active pedophile with immediate access to minors for two months? You need to resign."

A third student said, "I am just disgusted with you guys for letting him near me and my friends... they were let around a pedophile."

In a roundtable from the National Association of Secondary School Principals, Stearns said that he is the father to two "nonbinary kids," and is "very sensitive to student achievement and to those unique social emotional and cultural needs of our students." In the wake of the death of George Floyd in 2020, Stearns, a choir teacher, posted to YouTube a song titled "We Need a Miracle."

School board chair Ryan Scholl told livid attendees of the meeting that Stearns had been allowed to continue teaching at the school because law enforcement advised them not to place him on leave, according to KOIN. Hogue later refuted this, who checked bodycam footage with St. Helens police from when the subpoena was served and "at no point did the officers tell the school district or advise the school district in any way to not put the teacher on admin leave."

Students, parents, teachers, and others protested on Thursday and Friday outside of the high school and district offices against the school’s response.

In the wake, St Helens High School closed Thursday through Monday. St. Helens Superintendent Scot Stockwell and Principal Dr. Katy Wagner have been placed on administrative leave, and School Board Chair Scholl has resigned, KGW reported.

Police said that TikTok creator Doug Weaver, who graduated from the school in 2007, was responsible for launching their investigation. He reportedly emailed SafeOregon, the school safety tip line, and shared comments that students of the school had left on a video he posted about teachers there acting inappropriately.

Speaking with the outlet, Waver said, "For a long time, I didn't think change in this district was a possible thing. My goal has always been the same: I do not want unsafe people in the classroom; I do not want these kids to go to school and not know if they're safe."

Both teachers were arraigned on Thursday and both pleaded not guilty. Sterns was accused of sexually abusing six students between 2015 and 2020, allegedly touching their necks, chests, buttocks, or mouth inappropriately, according to the Oregonian.

Collins is accused of abusing three students between 2017 and January 2023. He allegedly touched the victims’ inner thighs, or in one case "attempting to cause" the victim to touch his penis.