PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) – St. Helens students continue to speak out as more staff are removed from schools amid an ongoing sex abuse scandal.
As of Friday, the St. Helens School District has announced 10 staff members are on paid administrative leave after news first broke that a current and former teacher had been arrested on allegations of sex abuse in mid-November.
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High school seniors have told KOIN 6 News they are glad the staff members were removed because it makes them feel safer until the investigations are completed. Still, they added that the ongoing stress caused by this saga has impacted their classrooms.
“It’s shocking,” St. Helens High School senior Misha Bainbridge said. “I mean, everyone kind of knew that there were some creepy things happening, I think. But I don’t think anyone knew it was to this level.”
It’s been more than a month since former teacher Mark Collins and current teacher Eric Stearns were first arrested on sex abuse charges on Nov. 13. The arrests were followed by state-led investigations into several teachers and administrative officials, including Principal Katy Wagner who is accused of failing to report these incidents for several years.