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Mark Hein, a teacher from Lake Stevens High School, was arrested on multiple s*x-related charges involving minors. Hein, who is 55 years old, was arrested on January 25, 2023, after multiple complaints came to the authorities and is now in the Snohomish County Jail. All of this happened after Mark Hein was placed on administrative leave this year by the school after the school received complaints of inappropriate conduct.
The school asserted that local law enforcement conducted their investigation during the academic year and that the teacher was booked and detained by the Lake Stevens Police Department as a result of that inquiry.
His charges include two counts of communicating with a minor for immoral purposes, two counts of assault with s*xual motivation, and two counts of s*xual misconduct with a minor. Collectively, all of these are punishable offenses, and the jail time that the teacher would have to serve would be approximately a year in jail, along with a $5,000 fine.
Mark Hein becomes the second teacher to be reported for s*xual misconduct at the Lake Stevens High School
After Mark Hein was arrested, Dr. Ken Collins, Superintendent of the Lake Stevens School District, released a statement talking about how it was unclear whether the minors involved were students of Lake Stevens High School or not. The superintendent said:
“I know that this significantly impacts our Viking Community, and the Lake Stevens Community as a whole. Please know that there are many aspects and details of this investigation that we legally cannot comment on. We are not attempting to hide anything or to minimize the situation. We are simply bound by confidentiality laws that disallow us from discussing details. Our focus remains on the education and support of our students.”
Furthermore, the authorities also released a media release where they stated that victims can contact the Lake Stevens Police Department for help.
Dr. Collins also said:
“While we are unable to provide further details, support is available to any student who needs it. We have an incredibly strong community, and we will continue to work together to get through this challenging time.”
Furthermore, the school also released a statement where they encouraged the students to speak up on the matter of s*xual assault or inappropriate conduct. It has become even more alarming for Lake Stevens High School as the Mark Hein case becomes the second instance of a Lake Stevens High School teacher being given administrative leave for s*xual misconduct.
Thomas Mattingly was under investigation prior to Mark Hein because he was supposedly dating a student at the school. However, the teacher then left the school and relocated to Shepherd, Montana. However, prosecutors dropped the filing of the charges as the student was 18 years of age and had graduated after the relationship allegedly began.
Furthermore, the school also advised the students to talk to their parents about the same incident if they have ever faced s*xual assault or call 911. Additionally, cases of misconduct inside the school premises can be reported to other trusted staff members or on the anonymous SafeSchools Tip Line.
