SF. HELENS Hours. (KPTV) – One of the two teachers from St. Helens High School is facing allegations of sexual abuse appeared in court Wednesday afternoon.

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

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

Stearns told the court he doesn’t have that kind of money.

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

The judge did not change the bail amount.

Along with bail, the judge set several other conditions for his release. Whether Stearns can post bail or not, he is barred from contacting the alleged victims, St. Helens or any minor. And if he makes bail, no minors are allowed to gather.

The other suspect, the former teacher from St. Helens, Mark Collins, posted bail on Wednesday morning and his arraignment hearing was rescheduled for Thursday.

SEE ALSO:

Many parents said they hope Stearns stays behind bars.

Tiffany Cooper is the parent of a junior at St. Helens and said she was so disgusted with the school’s handling of the investigation that she canceled her daughter’s enrollment at St. Helens.

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

Parents of high school St. The Helens were notified of the arrests and investigation in an email on Tuesday. But Cooper said that was too vague.

“It just said a staff member, that’s all the detail, a staff member was arrested and that’s all he said,” Cooper said. “I then went online and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office made a post of the two teachers who had been arrested for child sexual abuse. My daughter had one of those teachers for the whole year.”

Cooper showed FOX 12 a copy of his daughter. Her daughter is enrolled in “History of Music” in her seventh period.

Cooper said she feels more comfortable now that her daughter will no longer attend St. Helens.

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

SEE ALSO:

Meanwhile, students planned a walkout from the school Wednesday morning.

“It’s a message that people are afraid to be in school,” junior Avlene Moore said. “Two teachers who teach at our school were doing things like this and now we’re sending that message that we’re afraid.”

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

“Those accusations had been going on for years, because whenever I said I was in the choir, people would say, ‘Didn’t he do that?’ and I would put it in the back of my head because I didn’t want it to be true. But hearing it now, it’s like … woah,” Moore said.

The school district released a statement Wednesday afternoon and said Stearns has now been placed on administrative leave.

Copyright 2024 KPTV-KPDX. All rights reserved.