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Chronicle & Chief THE COLUMBIA COUNTY
Wednesday, March 20, 2024 | Columbia County, Oregon
$1.50
SHSD settles sexual abuse case for $3.5 million
to discipline Wroblewski had proven inadequate, and (3) that, if retained, Wroblewski would likely pose an ongoing threat to further female students in the future. Instead, Adams merely imposed only an official reprimand and three-day suspension,” according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit said Adams’ decision to retain a known sexual predator in Wroblewski directly enabled him to “immediately continue grooming, sexually harassing, and sexually abusing numerous other district female students for approximately another nine years.”
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ollowing years of litigation, the St. Helens School District (SHSD) has agreed to pay $3.5 million to settle a civil rights suit brought by a former St. Helens High School (SHHS) student that alleged district and school leaders failed to protect her sexual abuse by a district employee. The $3.5 million settlement is the highest sum a public school district in Oregon has ever paid in a sexual abuse settlement, as first reported by the Oregonian. The settlement will be paid through the district’s insurer and will not affect the general fund budget, according to the district. The settlement agreement comes a year after U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacie F. Beckerman ruled that the former student, identified as Jessica Doe, could proceed with a claim of state-created danger. The suit named the SHSD, SHSD Board, and SHSD Superintendent Scot Stockwell as defendants. The former student accused the district of acting negligently and creating a “foreseeable risk of Kyle Wroblewski abusing students.” “We’ve represented hundreds of victims of sexual abuse in Oregon and around the country, and this was one of the most egregious cases that we’ve handled to date,” Doe’s attorney Peter Janci said. “Particularly notable and concerning about this case, was the extensive knowledge that the St. Helens School District and their employees and staff had about the danger that Kyle Wroblewski posed.” The lawsuit alleges that the district was aware of persistent predatory behavior by former coach and social studies teacher Kyle Wroblewski for more than a decade but did not act to prevent it. This inaction allowed Wroblewski to groom Doe as a teacher and track coach and led to him sexually abusing her from the fall of 2017
“Open secret”
THE COLUMBIA COUNTY CHRONICLE & CHIEF
Kyle Jarred Wroblewski in court in 2019.
until his arrest in May 2018. Wroblewski was sentenced to 50 months in prison on six counts of second-degree sexual abuse for an inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old girl, which he plead guilty to in July of 2019. Wroblewski is now out of custody and required to register as a sex offender, according to the Oregonian.
Beginning in the 2016-2017 school year, Wroblewski, who was 43 years old at the time, began grooming Doe, then a 15-year-old sophomore, according to court documents. The suit says that sexual abuse began in October of 2017, and continued until Wroblewski’s arrest in May of 2018. When on release pending trial, Wroblewski was arrested twice more for violating his pre-trial release agreement. In August of 2018, Wroblewski twice engaged in contact with Doe and “sexually abused her for the final times while he was on pre-trial release,” according to the lawsuit. Court documents state that there were at least 20 additional female students who had complaints involving Wroblewski. The lawsuit states that Wroblewski’s sexually inappropriate behavior and relationships with female students “became a commonly understood ‘open secret’ within the school community and around the district.” “Their documents show that the district knew that it was dangerous, that what he was doing was illegal, and that he was a risk to students.
“[The district] started receiving reports about him sexually harassing and acting inappropriately toward students ten years before our client in this case was abused,” Janci said. In April 2008, then Assistant Principal Joanna Rau sent a letter of reprimand to Wroblewski, which noted several incidents that were
discussed with Wroblewski. These included “smelling girls and referring to their ‘delicious’ perfume,” helping a female student stretch out at the track, running his hands through girls’ hair, giving shoulder massages, and behaving in a manner that students referred to as “too touchy.” Wroblewski was then given a Letter of Directive outlining the necessary changes that must be made to his behavior, which could result in disciplinary action. However, a year later, in April of 2009, Wroblewski was again reprimanded by the school for similar behavior and suspended. At that time in 2009, Wroblewski was again given another list of expectations from the school district, including that he would have no physical contact with students unless necessary to prevent injury or to
provide aid. Then-SHHS Principal Nanette Hagen determined that Wroblewski’s termination was necessary in order to protect female students from the clear danger of sexual abuse posed by Wroblewski, according to the lawsuit. At a meeting with then-District Superintendent Patricia Adams, Hagen recommended that Adams terminate Wroblewski. Hagen also expressed to Adams her fear and prediction that, by retaining him, “the district would likely be enabling the sexual abuse of yet more female District students in the future.” “Superintendent Adams nevertheless opted to retain Wroblewski despite having actual knowledge (1) that Wroblewski had already sexually harassed and abused numerous students, (2) that previous attempts
Board of Commissioners’ decision is not yet final. “The County’s Counsel Office will convert the Board’s tentative approval into a final order that includes supporting findings,” Pacheco said. “The order should be presented to the Board for formal adoption sometime in the next few weeks.” The modification that the commissioners approved relocates rail tracks, tree buffers, and storm facilities from Agricultural PA-80 land onto RIPD land. The rail yard component of the proposal has been the subject of scrutiny from opponents of the NXT project. In a statement from the commissioners provided by Pacheco, the commissioners said they recognize the importance of “balancing economic growth with preserving our natural environment.” “The proposed NXTClean Fuels project at Port Westward offers a significant opportunity to boost our local economy, providing thousands of construction jobs and up to 100 permanent, living-wage positions,”
the statement said. “The project is expected to generate over $16 million in property tax revenue each year, a substantial amount that can be reinvested into essential county services and infrastructure, paving the way for a brighter future for our community.” The statement went on to say that they “acknowledge” residents’ concerns about potential environmental impacts and increased train traffic. “We have carefully assessed the project’s compliance with strict landuse criteria and collaborated closely with state and federal agencies during the review process. NXTClean Fuels has shown a strong commitment to addressing community concerns and being transparent throughout the approval process,” the commissioners said. On the day of the decision, the environmental nonprofit Columbia Riverkeeper sent out a press release that said the proposal seeks to build multiple miles of rail tracks along with a large refinery on unstable soil amid farms and wetlands. It also
noted community members’ concerns about having “long trains passing through Columbia County communities” on almost a daily basis. “The issues that have been raised by the community demonstrate that this rail yard and refinery would conflict with the existing uses,” said Dan Serres, Advocacy Director for Columbia Riverkeeper. “We will appeal this decision. More fundamentally, the people making decisions about NXT must start listening to the farmers who actually operate the dikes and drainage systems in the area: Port Westward is not a safe or suitable place for a massive refinery and rail yard.” Staff Attorney for Columbia Riverkeeper Audrey Leonard said that the organization is waiting for the written order from the commissioners to appeal the decision to Oregon’s Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA). The deadline to file an appeal is 21 days from the written order from the county. Leonard said that the commis-
sioners’ decision reflects a “willingness to believe that industry is going to deliver on promises that they have shown the inability to deliver on.” Leonard said that NXT has not delivered on many of its promises. Leonard and other community members in opposition to the project feel the commissioners are not taking their arguments into account and prefer to side with NXT. “I think the board is really just relying on the report that their staff made for them. I think that, in this case, we’ve presented them with plenty of evidence to deny, and they have just not shown a willingness to dig in,” Leonard said. NXTClean still awaits key permits, including a federal Clean Water Act Permit from the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). In a previous interview with the Chronicle & Chief, NXTClean Fuels Director of Communications Michael Hinrichs said NXTClean has “all of
food and medical expenses. The county said it has been delaying the need for an increase in the levy despite its challenges through a “reactive maintenance strategy” (addressing equipment issues as they arise) and “prudent fiscal practices.” Pacheco detailed what the funds would be used for if the measure is approved. “The jail will mainly spend the funds on day-to-day operating expenses,” Pacheco said. “We also hope to tackle important capital improvement projects, such as replacing the jail’s roof and adding a full-body scanner.”
The county said in its news release that approving the levy would be “an investment in our community’s collective safety and security.” Pacheco said that if the measure fails, the jail will not be able to maintain the capacity or services it currently provides. “If the levy does not pass and other funding does not present itself, the county would have to significantly limit inmate intake at the jail. We might also need to contract with another jail to hold our inmates,” Pacheco said. “In short, the jail cannot continue operating at its current capacity without the added funding the levy will provide.”
Warning signs
See SHSD, Page A6
NXTClean Port Westward project developments WILL LOHRE
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NXTClean Fuels, also known as NEXT Renewable Fuels, Inc., saw two decisions go its way as the County Commissioners tentatively approved its application to modify its approved design for its Port Westward facility, and the Port of Columbia County voted in favor of a rent reduction for the company. The Columbia County Commissioners approved NXT’s application to modify the previously approved design that authorized a renewable diesel production facility at Port Westward on Mar. 6. On Mar. 13, the Port of Columbia County Commissioners granted NXT’s request to decrease its monthly rent from $108,497 to $15,000. Mar. 6 decision The Columbia County Public Information Officer Mark Pacheco said it is important to note that the
See NXTCLEAN, Page A10
Jail levy on the May election ballot WILL LOHRE
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oters will once again be asked to renew the Columbia County Jail Levy in the upcoming May election, a decision the county has characterized as being “crucial.” Passage of the measure would raise property owners’ taxes by $0.29, from $0.58 to $0.87 per $1,000 of assessed property value. If passed, the levy would be extended for four years, and is projected to raise $23,728,262. If it is not approved, the measure will expire. Columbia County Public Infor-
mation Officer Mark Pacheco gave insight as to why the county is increasing the rate of the existing levy. “Residents’ past support of levies has helped the county fund and maintain the jail’s existing operational capacity. However, costs have increased, especially for medical care and food, so we are asking for the community’s support again,” Pacheco said. “We need the voters’ help to pass the upcoming levy and preserve the jail’s mission of keeping the community safe.” Operational costs for the jail have “significantly increased,” more than doubling in the last four years, according to a county news release.
IN THIS ISSUE Police Reports .............. A3 Opinion .......................... A4 Obituaries ...................... A5 Market ............................ A6 Public Notices .............. A7 Crossword .................... A7 Games & Puzzles .......... A8 Sports .......................... A10
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This is the first time a jail levy extension has been on the ballot since 2020.
The county said that challenges arose during the pandemic, including reduced bed rentals by the U.S. Marshals Service and increased
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