Against All Enemies Foreign and Domestic

Example Four

Elementary School Teacher Arrested On Child Molestation Charges

February 4, 2005
 
By Joe Furia

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE - He is entrusted with the care and well being of young children. But, Snohomish County investigators believe a local elementary school teacher violated that trust.

They arrested Wayne E. Christopherson, 49, on Thursday for child molestation.

Christopherson is a fourth grade teacher at Mountlake Terrace Elementary School.

"Unbelievable." That was the reaction of Kathleen Starkey whose daughter was in Christopherson's class last year.

"It's awful," she added, "I just cannot believe it."

Silvia Aguilera's son is in Christopherson's class this year. She is stunned by the news of his arrest.

"Oh my God, I don't know what to say," Silvia told KOMO 4 News, "I'm in shock."

Two of Christopherson's students at Mountlake Terrace Elementary told their parents two weeks ago, that Christopherson had touched them inappropriately in class.

The parents went to the principal, who then went to police.

"I can't go into a lot of detail," said Mountlake Terrace Police Chief Scott Smith, "other than that the inappropriate touching occurred during the day, during class hours while the class was in session."

KOMO 4 News has also learned of Christopherson's 2001 arrest for public indecency.

Police tell us the incident was of a "sexual nature," but not involving children. Still, it begs the question of how the school district could have missed it when they hired him.

District Spokeswoman Debbie Jakala explains. "The charges of which I believe you're referring are things that occurred after he came into our employment," she said, "and the background check and the necessary steps in the hiring process had been completed."

Wayne Christopher is now out of jail on $25,000 bail.

The school district put him on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.