Note: This story involves sexual abuse. If you or someone you know may be a victim of sexual abuse, confidential support, information and advice are available at the National Sexual Assault Hotline by calling 800-656-4673. Text chat is also available online.
The St. Helens School District remains in a precarious position as allegations of child sexual abuse against teachers and related arrests have made many parents there question if school officials are adequately protecting students.
Sarah Young of Scappoose has a child currently attending St. Heels High School, and says her son has previously raised concerns. Families and community members gathered at the St. Helens Senior Center on Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, for an open forum to discuss holding school district leaders accountable and keeping children safe.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
At a community meeting Friday, many parents called for widespread overhauls in the district, including resignations or recalls of school board members.
Turmoil in St. Helens began earlier this year and rapidly intensified in November as the scope of alleged abuse inside schools there became clearer.
Here are some key events that led to this current moment in the Columbia County district.
Aug. 21, 2019
Former St. Helens High School teacher Kyle Wroblewski is sentenced to more than four years in prison for grooming and sexually abusing a 17-year-old student identified as Jessica Doe. The charges originated in May 2018 and after more than a year of legal negotiations, Wroblewski opted to plead guilty to five counts of second-degree sexual abuse.
Students protest outside St. Helens High School with signs on Nov. 15, 2024. Many said they felt betrayed by school officials.
Joni Land / OPB
Oct. 29, 2019
Doe files a lawsuit against the St. Helens School District, alleging that district officials were well aware that Wroblewski used his role as a track coach and social studies teacher to act inappropriately with underage female students before he repeatedly abused Doe in 2018. The lawsuit stated that St. Helens district Superintendent Scot Stockwell, among other top officials, had received information and heard rumors about Wroblewski’s behavior as early as 2017. It also noted that Wroblewski’s mistreatment of children may have started as early as 2005.
March 14, 2024
After a yearslong legal battle, the St. Helens School District agrees to pay out $3.5 million to Doe and her family to settle the lawsuit related to Wroblewski. The payout was one of the largest ever, if not the largest, by an Oregon district for sexual abuse.
St. Helens High School alumnus Doug Weaver speaks at the St. Helens Senior Center on Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. Students commented on TikTok videos Weaver shared about his experiences with predatory staff members while he attended the school. Weaver shared those comments and information with the police, which sparked the investigation.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
September 2024
Former St. Helens High School student and TikTok creator Doug Weaver begins posting videos on the social media platform about the Wroblewski settlement. Weaver had previously posted about his concerns around communal showers for boys in sports at the school and had spoken about keeping minors safe from sexual abuse. Comments on Weaver’s videos allege that other teachers in the St. Helens district have engaged in behavior similar to Wroblewski, and those comments reach law enforcement.
@dougweaverart I think it’s long past time for this school district’s dirty laundry to be aired out. #greenscreen #education #abuse #accountability #sthelens #shhs ♬ original sound - dougweaverart
October 2024
St. Helens police receive subpoenas for the St. Helens School District seeking information about allegations of sexual abuse noted in the comments to Weaver’s videos. Law enforcement receives responsive records indicating students had complained about teachers, but those complaints had not previously reached the police.
Nov. 12, 2024
Law enforcement arrest recently retired St. Helens High School math instructor Mark Collins and choir director Eric Stearns. Indictments for the men allege that Collins touched the intimate areas of three students under the age of 18 between 2017 and 2023, while Stearns was accused of inappropriately touching at least six different underage students between 2015 and 2024. Both men face charges of second-degree sexual abuse and plead not guilty to the crimes.
A student holds a sign during a protest outside St. Helen's High School on Nov. 15, 2024. Dozens of students and parents have protested for two days, after two teachers were arrested for alleged sexual abuse of students.
Joni Land, Joni Land / OPB
Nov. 14, 2024
St. Helens High School students walk out of their classes in protest. Demonstrators accuse school staff once again of brushing off allegations of abuse.
Nov. 15, 2024
The school district cancels classes for all students and protests continue. Parents and students soon call on Superintendent Stockwell, the entire school board and high school Principal Katy Wagner to resign. At a school board meeting, the board places Stockwell and Wagner on paid administrative leave. School board member Ryan Scholl also resigns.
Families and community members gathered at the St. Helens Senior Center on Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, for an open forum to discuss holding school district leaders accountable and keeping children safe.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Nov. 20, 2024
OPB confirms with the Oregon Department of Human Services that the state agency had received no reports from teachers or staff at St. Helens between 2019 and 2023 about alleged sexual abuse at the high school. Teachers and other staff at schools are mandatory reporters, meaning that if they directly hear about abuse, they have to report it to DHS. The state agency also announces it is investigating Stockwell and Wagner for failing to ensure reports were made.
Nov. 21, 2024
St. Helens police announced they are looking into a new complaint, this time involving a middle school teacher. The Department of Human Services also announces it has received complaints about two additional teachers it is attempting to verify. The Scappoose School District reveals that Collins had worked as a substitute teacher there in 2023 and 2024. A student in that district said they believed Collins may have watched pornography on an electronic device during a class. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek says she is taking the allegations in the school district “very seriously” and offers her condolences to the school community.
St. Helens Mayor-elect Jennifer Massey speaks at the community event she organized at the St. Helens Senior Center on Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, to discuss holding school district leaders accountable and keeping children safe.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Nov. 22, 2024
St. Helens Mayor-elect Jennifer Massey hosts a town hall meeting. Dozens of parents and students gather to express anger and frustration that current school administration failed to protect the safety of students. By the end of the evening, parents openly discuss how to collect enough signatures to recall current school board members. No one from the St. Helens district administration or school board attends the meeting.