SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon Department of Human Services has opened an investigation into allegations of neglect against St. Helens High School Principal Dr. Katy Wagner in the wake of an ongoing teacher sex abuse scandal that has roiled the school district and community.
The investigation, first reported by OPB, is being carried out by the department's Office of Training, Investigations and Safety, which is tasked with looking into reports of abuse by third parties such as caregivers and teachers. A DHS spokesperson confirmed that Wagner is under investigation for allegations of neglect "due to failure to report child safety concerns."
The scandal broke open last week when retired teacher Mark Collins and current teacher Eric Stearns were arrested following a months-long police investigation and charged with multiple counts of sexual abuse. The arrests set off a firestorm of criticism from parents and the community and led to a three-day closure of the school amid student protests.
The public anger grew when school board members admitted they had known since September that Stearns was under investigation. Parents and students said the decision to allow Stearns to keep teaching up until his arrest fit in with a years-long pattern of Wagner and other district leaders ignoring or suppressing reports of sexual abuse.
Wagner and Superintendent Scot Stockwell were both placed on paid administrative leave later in the week, and St. Helens School District Board Chair Ryan Scholl resigned.
On Thursday, St. Helens police revealed that they were investigating a teacher at St. Helens Middle School after receiving a report about alleged criminal conduct "involving a student."
In addition to the Wagner inquiry, there are two other active state investigations into St. Helens High School personnel, according to DHS: one into sexual abuse allegations against Collins and one into sexual abuse allegations against Stearns. There were no reports against either teacher made to the state before October 2024, nor any prior reports of safety concerns at the school overall.
The investigations typically take 60 days, according to the DHS spokesperson, though the respondents have the right to appeal the findings and an investigation isn't considered complete until the respondent waives or exhausts that right.
