St. Helens interim superintendent discusses path forward after school sex abuse scandal
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — St. Helens School District's new acting superintendent Dr. Steven Webb spoke Tuesday morning, addressing the sexual abuse allegations within the district and laying out future plans.
In his statement, Webb addressed the community saying that now is a time for "transparent communication and community engagement."
According to Webb, he was tasked by the board of directors to prioritize stabilizing the high school, initializing a third-party investigation, cooperating with the investigation of criminal sexual abuse and launching a comprehensive community engagement plan.
In terms of the current investigation, Webb said that it's important to be patient and let the current investigation run its course, but if employees are found to be guilty, they will be held accountable.
"Families do not give us their students, they do not give us their children, they give us their babies, it is a sacred trust and we have a moral obligation to honor it with reverence. That trust has been broken," Webb said.
Starting on Dec. 2, Webb said that an external investigation by the Northwest Regional Education Service District will begin, evaluating the district's mandatory reporting process as well as the district's training process and district culture.
The external investigation is expected to take 45 to 60 days to complete.
Webb also said he plans on appointing a new principal for St. Helens High School as soon as possible.
At the end of the meeting, Webb and district communications director Stacy Mendoza denied answering any questions, despite an outpouring of protest from the media calling for transparency.
Webb concluded saying that he will have weekly media availability throughout winter break.
Prior to his appointment at St. Helens School District, Webb was head of Vancouver Public Schools until he was placed on administrative leave — with no given reason — in 2021. Shortly thereafter, he announced his early retirement in Vancouver.
St. Helens Mayor-Elect Jennifer Massey said she and other parents were hoping for more answers, including why Webb was placed on paid leave by VPS.
"Why would you not take the opportunity to try to either dispel misinformation or provide more clarity? Instead, there's this systemic issue where we're just adding more confusion and lack of trust by lack of transparency for the parents and the students. It's problematic," Massey said.
Vancouver Public Schools did not provide more clarity to KOIN 6 on the decision to part ways with Webb. However, VPS confirmed that his separation agreement included a clause in which parties would not disparage one another personally or professionally.