KGW Investigation: Dozens of Oregon Teachers Lost Licenses for Sexual Misconduct

A recent KGW investigation has uncovered disturbing data about educator sexual misconduct in Oregon schools. According to their analysis, 60 Oregon teachers had their licenses revoked for sexual violations against students over the past six years, with an additional 36 “sexual conduct” cases currently under investigation.

The Scope of the Problem

Beyond the 60 license revocations classified as “sexual conduct,” an additional 21 teachers lost their licenses for related sexual transgressions, mostly categorized as “boundaries” violations related to grooming allegations.

The yearly breakdown shows varying numbers of revocations, with the highest in 2022 (15) and 2023 (13). The investigation also revealed that 116 “boundaries” cases are currently under active investigation by Oregon’s Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC).

Insights from Peter Janci

Our attorney Peter Janci provided context about these findings in his interview with KGW.

“The number of revoked licenses doesn’t reflect the victim count and it doesn’t reflect the predator count,” Janci explained. “We know from our work in this area that it’s very difficult to get teachers to the point where their license is actually revoked, and even if they are reported, they may not have discipline against them.”

When discussing high-profile cases like those in St. Helens, Janci emphasized that these represent “the tip of the iceberg” of concerning incidents statewide. “It’s a much more pervasive problem — many of the cases that we’ve handled involve predators who are never reported.”

St. Helens: A Case Study

The investigation highlighted recent events in the St. Helens School District, where former choir teacher Eric Stearns faces 29 sexual abuse charges involving 16 different survivors and retired math teacher Mark Collins is accused of sexual abuse against four students. Both the superintendent and high school principal faced consequences for their handling of these situations.

Warning Signs and Prevention

The KGW report identified several patterns that often precede sexual abuse, including teachers isolating students and engaging in private communications via social media.

“When we see red flag behavior, we immediately intervene and we alert the experts so that they can do proper investigations,” Janci told KGW. “We make sure that predators don’t continue to have access to kids while investigations are going on.”

Systemic Issues Identified

The investigation revealed several systemic problems:

The “Passing the Trash” Problem

“There has historically been a common practice of ‘passing the trash,’ which is sort of insider lingo for allowing a teacher to quietly resign and move on to another position,” Janci explained.

This practice enables problematic educators to move between districts without appropriate flagging. Currently, there’s no state record tracking how many concerning teachers have moved from one district to another.

Delayed Investigations and Reporting Challenges

State investigations can take years, and few “failure to report” cases are ever filed. Janci advocated for expanded reporting requirements and tightened background checks within Oregon.

“If you don’t fix the culture and the system that those people are operating in, you’re playing whack-a-mole, you’re getting one predator and waiting for the next one to pop up.”

Creating Safer Schools

Based on the findings and our experience representing survivors, schools should:

• Establish clear, accessible reporting mechanisms
• Implement thorough background checks and monitoring
• Train staff to recognize warning signs
• Foster cultures where student safety is the top priority

We encourage readers to visit the original article for complete reporting on this important issue.

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