Former Vancouver Public Colleges’ Superintendent Steve Webb has been employed as interim superintendent in Oregon’s St. Helens Faculty District, the place lecturers have been arrested on intercourse abuse allegations.
Webb, 61, retired in 2021 after 13 years as Vancouver’s superintendent, greater than a yr earlier than a deliberate retirement date of July 1, 2022.
The Vancouver college board positioned Webb on go away Feb. 9, 2021; his retirement was introduced two days later. The board by no means indicated why he was positioned on go away. Webb’s retirement settlement, crafted by attorneys representing the board and Webb, got here after an govt session lasting greater than two hours.
Webb obtained a $455,000 retirement payout, in accordance with a public information request obtained by The Columbian in 2021. He has been working as a hiring guide for Human Capital Enterprises and the American Affiliation of Faculty Directors.
Now, Webb has stepped again into the superintendent function, no less than quickly, in St. Helens below a 90-day contract. The St. Helens college board voted unanimously Monday to nominate Webb to the place, efficient instantly, in accordance with the district.
The St. Helens Faculty District has been below scrutiny for allegations relating to worker misconduct and lack of transparency.
“The district has significant work ahead to repair relationships and rebuild trust,” Webb stated at a Tuesday press convention. “Healing this pain will take time, decisive action, transparent communication and community engagement.”
St. Helens controversy
In 2019, a former highschool trainer within the district was sentenced to greater than 4 years in jail on 5 counts of second-degree sexual abuse of a 17-year-old woman, in accordance with Columbia County Highlight.
In March, the college district paid $3.5 million to the woman and her household to settle a lawsuit filed in 2019 — the most important payout made by a public Oregon college district for sexual abuse, in accordance with Oregon Public Broadcasting.
Earlier this month, highschool college students walked out of sophistication to protest the district not taking intercourse abuse allegations critically. Dad and mom and college students demanded Superintendent Scot Stockwell, highschool Principal Katy Wagner and all the college board resign. The varsity board positioned Stockwell and Wagner on paid administrative go away. Faculty board member Ryan Scholl resigned.
The Oregon Division of Human Companies launched an investigation of Stockwell and Wagner for failing to report allegations of sexual abuse at the highschool between 2013 and 2023 — regardless of a compulsory obligation to report abuse, in accordance with OPB.
As of Thursday, St. Helens police are trying into a brand new criticism a couple of center college trainer.
Webb is available in
Webb stated the St. Helens college board set 4 priorities for him: stabilize the district and highschool administration; request an unbiased, third-party investigation; cooperate with regulation enforcement, DHS and different businesses’ investigations; and launch a group engagement plan.
“I am deeply saddened that the alleged actions of a few have tarnished the reputation of this district and its dedicated staff,” Webb stated on the Tuesday press convention. “I commit to sharing what we learn, as allowed by law and guided by legal counsel, as the investigations proceed.”