PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) - The St. Helens School District has named the teachers and district officials who are on paid administrative leave as students and community members call for transparency from their schools.
Staff members who were placed on paid administrative leave were named in a recent email to families after the district received "multiple public records requests" from community members seeking transparency, according to the St. Helens School District.
The district said nine of the 10 are under pending investigation by outside entities, but would not say if they are all tied to ongoing accusations of sexual abuse and failure to report.
In the email, St. Helens officials said the district is "committed to fostering a safe, respectful, and transparent educational environment for our students, staff, families, and community."
Questions surrounding district officials placed on leave began in mid-November when former teacher Mark Collins and current teacher Eric Stearns were arrested on sex abuse charges.
The criminal charges 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.
The list revealed by St. Helens School District on Friday did not specify the details of what led each staff member to be placed on leave, but did list them by name, office, position, status, and leave date.
The list includes 10 staff members throughout the district, but does not include former teacher Mark Collins, who is currently facing charges in Columbia County.
The announcement followed calls from community members who have expressed frustration with the district's transparency. High school students previously told KOIN 6 News they are glad the staff members were removed, but added that the ongoing stress caused by this saga has impacted their education.
"It's very disruptive to the classroom environment," St. Helens High School senior Misha Bainbridge said earlier this week. "And I can't take my test from a few weeks ago because there's no teacher to even give me the test. The substitute doesn't know where the tests are."
In response, the district said student safety and community trust is their top priority.
"We understand that this situation evokes strong emotions within our community," the district said in the email that included the list. "Thorough, unbiased investigations are critical to building and maintaining trust and integrity. We ask for patience and understanding as these matters are thoroughly and carefully investigated. Our shared goal is to ensure that any decisions made are informed, fair, and capable of withstanding scrutiny."
The district also clarified that "placing an employee on paid administrative leave is standard practice and does not imply a presumption of wrongdoing."