Married couple accused of sexual abuse of student at Christian school deny charges
A married couple who previously worked at a Christian school in Oregon and were recently indicted on charges of sexually abusing a former student are professing their innocence.
David Alan Wakefield, 60, was indicted by a Clackamas County grand jury on 20 counts of sex abuse, and his wife, Rachel Jean Wakefield, 54, was indicted on 11 counts of sex abuse on Feb. 20, according to Sergeant Ross Clemson of the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.
The couple worked at Damascus Christian School and have been charged with allegedly sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl who was on their basketball team. The alleged victim is now an adult.
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David and Rachel Wakefield turned themselves in at the Clackamas County Jail on Feb. 28 and were each released on $100,000 bail.
According to the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, the alleged abuse spanned four years when David Wakefield worked at Damascus Christian as the school principal and then-athletic director until 2020. Rachel Wakefield worked at the school as a substitute teacher and coach.
The couple have denied the charges brought up against them.
The Wakefield’s attorney told CBS affiliate KOIN that the couple “have been valued members of the Clackamas County Community for their entire lives. They deny the charges and look forward to the day when the truth comes out.”
Founded in 1975, Damascus Christian School serves 365 students in kindergarten through the 12th grade.
The school boasts on its website about its Bible-based curriculum that is provided to students using the acronym “S.O.A.R.,” which stands for: “Spiritual Formation, Outreach, Academic Rigor and Relevance.” The website adds that the school is “dedicated to working with parents to give our kids a Biblical worldview [in order to] see our students transformed through the discipleship model and SOAR spiritually.”
In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the school said it's “heartbroken” over the allegations.
“Although this couple have not been connected to the church or school for some time, Damascus Community Church and Christian School still take these reports very seriously and the safety of our students and staff is a top priority. If requested, we will fully cooperate with law enforcement and the courts during this process,” it said.
“Please join us in praying for all those involved in this situation.”
The school added that anyone with additional information regarding the charges or other allegations should “contact the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office directly.”
The Wakefield family previously received media attention in 2017 after their college-aged daughter, Ana, nearly died in a collision with a drunk driver.
Ana’s recovery process was the focus of a documentary called "Fight Like Ana."
The couple now await their trial dates, the first of which is set for April.
Nicole VanDyke is a reporter for The Christian Post.
