St. Helens teacher pleads not guilty to sexual assault charges; Bail was set at $150,000

St. HELENS Ore. (KPTV) – One of the two St. Helens High School teachers accused of sexual abuse appeared in court Wednesday afternoon.

Eric Stearns, a music history and choir teacher, has been accused by six victims who say the alleged abuse took place at St Helens High School.

Stearns pleaded not guilty during a virtual appearance before a D.C. judge, who then set his bond at $150,000.

Stearns told the court that he did not have that kind of money.

“We’re struggling to find the $15,000 that we could get out of the $10,000 so I can go home and take care of my kids,” Stearns said.

The judge did not change the bail amount.

In addition to bail, the judge imposed several other conditions of release. Regardless of whether Stearns is able to post bail, he is prohibited from having contact with the alleged victims, St. Helens High School or any minors. And if he does post bail, he will not be allowed in any place where minors may congregate.

Another suspect, former St Helens teacher Mark Collins, posted bail on Wednesday morning and his arraignment hearing was adjourned to Thursday.

SEE ALSO:

A lawsuit was filed against a Lake Oswego couple Tuesday after the man was found guilty of drugging his daughter’s friends during a sleepover last year.

Many parents expressed hope that Stearns would remain behind bars.

Tiffany Cooper is a parent at St Helens Junior School and said she was so disgusted by the school’s handling of the investigation that she expelled her daughter from St Helens.

“He was arrested yesterday and he was teaching here yesterday morning,” Cooper said. “I’m angry! During the entire investigation, he was not sent on administrative leave.”

Parents at St. Helens High School were notified of the arrests and investigation Tuesday via email. But Cooper said that was too vague.

“It just said the employee, that’s all the details, the employee was arrested and that’s all it said,” Cooper said. “Then I went online and the D.C. Sheriff’s Office posted about two teachers who had been arrested for sexually abusing minors. My daughter had one of those teachers for a whole year.”

Cooper showed FOX 12 a copy of her daughter’s transcript. Her daughter is studying History of Music during the seventh grade.

Cooper said she feels more comfortable now that her daughter will no longer be attending St. Helens High School.

“She wants to get an education where she doesn’t have to worry about predators,” Cooper said.

SEE ALSO:

FOX 12 investigates the changes expected in Oregon’s foster care system after a massive class action lawsuit was settled with the state of Oregon.

Meanwhile, students planned to walk out of school on Wednesday morning.

“It’s a message that people are afraid to be in school,” junior Avlyn Moore said. “Two teachers who taught at our school did these things, and now we’re getting reports that we’re scared.”

Moore has been in Stearns’ choir class since freshman year. She said that while his arrest and charges came as a surprise, there were warning signs.

“These accusations went on for years because whenever I mentioned being in the choir, people would say to me, ‘Didn’t he do it?’ and I would remember it because I didn’t want it to be true. But hearing it now, it’s just like — wow,” Moore said.

The school district released a statement Wednesday afternoon saying Stearns had been placed on administrative leave.