Families sue Peninsula School District after teacher’s child molestation conviction

TACOMA, Wash. — A new federal lawsuit alleges Peninsula School District and two Evergreen Elementary School administrators ignored repeated warnings before former teacher Jordan Henderson sexually abused young girls.

The complaint, filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, names the district, Evergreen Elementary Principal Hugh Maxwell and former Peninsula Dean of Students/Success Coach Christy Dalby as defendants.

It was filed on behalf of five minor girls and their families.

The lawsuit accuses the district and administrators of civil rights violations, Title IX violations and other claims tied to Henderson’s conduct while he worked at Evergreen Elementary School.

Henderson, 36, was sentenced May 8 in Pierce County Superior Court to 66 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of multiple counts of child molestation involving four former students.

The federal lawsuit alleges Henderson sexually abused five girls while teaching fourth- and fifth-grade students at Evergreen Elementary.

KING 5 News has reached out to the Peninsula School District for a response to this lawsuit.

The complaint says school employees and students had reported concerns about his interactions with young female students before his arrest.

According to the lawsuit, educators reported concerns about Henderson as early as the 2019-2020 school year.

The complaint describes reports involving physical closeness with students, girls hanging onto him, students sitting near him on the floor and time spent alone with students.

The lawsuit also alleges multiple students reported during the 2022-2023 school year that Henderson made them feel uncomfortable or touched them.

One student testified during Henderson’s criminal trial that she reported an inappropriate hug to Dalby and that nothing was done, according to the complaint.

The lawsuit says Henderson was placed on administrative leave after a student reported inappropriate touching to Maxwell on Feb. 26, 2024.

The complaint alleges some students had to return to Henderson’s classroom after concerns were reported that day.

The complaint also alleges the district began an investigation and retained investigators, but never completed the investigation.

The lawsuit claims the district failed to resume its Title IX investigation after law enforcement finished its work and submitted the case to prosecutors.

At Henderson’s sentencing, prosecutors argued Henderson used his role as a teacher to gain access to vulnerable children and abuse them over several years.

Judge Alicia M. Burton said Henderson abused the trust placed in him by parents and students.

“You committed these offences while serving in a role that carried extraordinary responsibility. Parents entrusted you with the care and supervision of their children. Students were entitled to feel safe in your classroom. Instead the jury found without a reasonable doubt that you used that position of trust to facilitate repeated abuse,” Burton said.

Prosecutors asked for a sentence above the standard range, saying Henderson remained a danger to the community and had shown little accountability.

Deputy Prosecutor Christine Dickson described Henderson in court as an “untreated sex offender” with no “motivation or interest in getting better.”

Several family members addressed the court, describing years of emotional harm and fear.

One mother told the judge, “His name is like Voldemort in our home – he who should not be named.”

Defense attorneys asked for a lower sentence, arguing Henderson still had support from family members and others.

Court proceedings revealed at least 29 people submitted letters supporting Henderson before sentencing.

Burton said the sentence reflected the seriousness of the crimes and the abuse of trust connected to Henderson’s role as a teacher.

The federal lawsuit seeks damages, attorneys’ fees and a jury trial.

KING 5’s Sebastian Robertson contributed to this story.