ST. HELENS, Ore. — An Oregon high school already reeling from a disturbing sexual abuse scandal is once again under fire — this time for allegedly doing nothing while a student was violently assaulted just outside the school’s front doors. The same school, accused of protecting known abusers, is now facing a $3 million lawsuit from the victim’s family after staff reportedly ignored weeks of warnings that could have prevented the attack.
The lawsuit, filed against the St. Helens School District, names administrators and staff at St. Helens High School, where the assault took place on May 5. It also implicates the same leadership accused of looking the other way during years of alleged sexual misconduct by school employees.
The latest incident was captured on cell phone video by students. In the footage, the teen victim is seen rushing toward the school entrance before being intercepted and repeatedly punched by another student. Several students left their classrooms to film the beating. According to eyewitness Mike Pense, a teacher stood just feet away and refused to intervene.
“I saw a teacher just standing there watching,” Pense told FOX 12. “I asked what he was doing, and he said, ‘I can’t do nothing.’ Then he walked away.”
Pense says his presence alone was enough to stop the assault. But for the student on the receiving end, the damage was already done — including a concussion and traumatic brain injury, according to her parents.
The family says this was no surprise attack. Their daughter had been bullied and threatened for weeks by the same student who eventually attacked her. They say they met with Assistant Principal Nicole Hilton to create a safety plan, and were reassured that school staff would protect their child.
But on the morning of the attack, the teen again reported continued threats. Just one hour later, she was on the ground bleeding while school officials failed to act.
“She trusted the system,” said her mother, Kimberly Byler. “She followed the rules. She asked for help. The school promised us she’d be safe — and they failed her.”
The family is now suing the school district, Assistant Principal Hilton, a science teacher, and three students involved in the attack. Their attorney, George Goldberg, called the case “one of the most disturbing” he’s seen in years.
“This is about basic accountability,” Goldberg said. “The adults in charge had every opportunity to protect this student. They did nothing.”
And this isn’t the first time the district has been accused of looking the other way.
Just months earlier, Principal Katy Wagner resigned amid criminal charges that she failed to report sexual abuse by multiple staff members, including choir teacher Eric Stearns and retired math teacher Mark Collins, both arrested for allegedly abusing students. Wagner was placed on paid administrative leave before formally resigning in April 2025. Superintendent Scot Stockwell also resigned in March under similar scrutiny.
Wagner is now facing two felony charges for criminal mistreatment and failure to report child abuse. The entire St. Helens School District has been under intense public scrutiny for what many see as a pattern of protecting abusers and ignoring danger.
The victim’s father, D. Byler, said the district’s silence after the assault has only made things worse.
“No one contacted us. No one acknowledged what happened,” he said. “Our daughter was left to deal with this alone, while the school pretends nothing happened.”
The Columbia County District Attorney’s Office has stated that the case is being handled in juvenile court, and no charges are currently planned for adult court. A public records request for the police report was denied due to an ongoing investigation.
Still, the Byler family says their daughter did everything right — and the school system did everything wrong.
“We don’t have to accept this kind of failure for our kids,” Kimberly Byler said. “It’s time we hold schools accountable — not just for what they allow to happen, but for what they deliberately ignore.”
