Community Education Police & Fire

Peninsula School District hit with new lawsuits related to teacher’s child molestation conviction 

Fallout continues for Peninsula School District following the child sex abuse conviction of former teacher Jordan Roy Henderson. 

Prosecutors charged Henderson, 36, with sexually assaulting four fourth- and fifth-grade girls who were his students at Evergreen Elementary School in Lakebay between 2022 and 2024. A Pierce County Superior Court jury on Jan. 5, found Henderson guilty of 12 counts of first-degree child molestation. He was sentenced May 8 to 66 years-to-life in prison. 

Parents of the girls sued Peninsula School District in 2024, claiming it failed to stop Henderson’s predatory behavior despite reports of red flags well before his arrest.

On April 23, the mother of a fifth student filed a separate suit against the district for gross negligence in how it handled reports about Henderson’s abuse.

And on Thursday, mothers of all five girls filed a federal civil rights claim, naming the district and two of the school’s top administrators as defendants.

Jordan Roy Henderson in court in December 2025. Photo courtesy of Pfau, Cochran, Vertetis Amala PLLC.

Federal suit allegations 

The federal suit, filed May 14 in U.S. District Court of Western Washington, claims Evergreen Elementary staff members observed and reported Henderson’s inappropriate behavior around female students as early as 2019.

The suit claims Principal Hugh Maxwell and dean Christy Dalby knew of those reports but failed to take correct action as mandatory reporters of child sex abuse under state law.

The suit claims the district violated students’ rights under Title IX through gender discrimination (since Henderson targeted girls) and because it created a “hostile educational environment.” 

“Defendants displayed a deliberate indifference to the known danger of minor female students (in the school),” court documents state.

District’s legal liability

Attorneys with PCVA Law, representing families in all three claims, allege that Peninsula School District violated federal law by failing to complete an internal investigation following Henderson’s arrest.  

The district initiated an investigation but put it on hold during the criminal investigation by the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office. In court documents, the district wrote that it did not want to interfere with law enforcement.

The investigation would have disclosed gaps in the district’s handling of reports against Henderson, according to the families’ attorney Kevin Hastings.

What was reported?

During the 2019-20 school year, a staff member saw Henderson standing “concerningly close” to a student sitting on a railing outside a portable, according to the federal suit. “It raised a red flag.” The staff member reported the incident to Maxwell, who said he would talk to Henderson.

During the 2021-22 school year, several staff members saw female students “hanging onto” Henderson in the gym and hugging him. Maxwell was notified and again said he’d talk to Henderson.

On two occasions in 2023, witnesses reported seeing Henderson sitting on the floor reading with students, once with his arms around some, another time with a female student sitting between his legs. The latter incident was reported to Maxwell, according to court files.

Among other incidents documented, Henderson was seen on multiple occasions with female students hanging onto him or climbing on his back. He was said to have “favorites,” signaling grooming behavior. 

‘Nobody believed her’

During the 2022-23 school year, multiple students complained about Henderson’s behavior, the federal suit alleges.  

Three students (including two whose complaints were not part of the criminal trial) “have all stated that they told the school counselor and/or the school principal about Henderson making them feel uncomfortable or touching them in some way, but that administrators did not do anything about it,” according to court documents.

One of those students reported that another girl had “made a complaint to school administrators during her fourth-grade year but said that nobody believed her.”

Yet another student said that she and two others “spoke to principal Maxwell about their concerns but were told to address the complaints with Henderson directly.”

One of the girls who testified during the criminal trial said she reported an inappropriate hug from Henderson to Dalby a few days after the incident occurred and that Dalby did not acknowledge her concern or do anything about it. 

Students speak out

On Feb. 26, 2024, one of the four victims in the civil suit told Maxwell that Henderson touched her inappropriately. She disclosed to the school counselor that he “touched her bottom and her front private parts.” The district placed Henderson on administrative leave following her report and written complaints from three other girls the same day.

Maxwell, Dalby and a counselor reported the matter to Child Protective Services on Feb. 26, 2024. Maxwell notified law enforcement later that day, leading to Henderson’s arrest in April 2024. 

Civil suits separate

The two civil suits against Peninsula School District, filed in Pierce County Superior Court, contain similar allegations about reports made by staff and students that should have set off alarm bells, said PCVA attorney Kevin Hastings. 

“Right now, the two lawsuits are separate files just by virtue of when they were filed,” Hastings said. “Defendants in these situations usually don’t want anything combined because they want to make it more expensive and time consuming for plaintiffs as possible.” 

The first suit, filed by families on behalf of victims in the criminal case, is set for a trial by jury in August. The second suit, filed on behalf of the fifth student to come forward, is set for a trial in October 2027. 

District’s response

Michael Farmer, chief of schools for Peninsula School District, issued this statement on the federal suit: “The safety and well-being of our students continues to be the foundation of our school district. We are aware of the recently filed lawsuit, and unfortunately, we cannot discuss active litigation.” 

“Jordan Henderson abused a position of trust and caused serious harm to children in his care,” Hastings said. “Peninsula School District administrators ignored glaring red flags with Jordan’s behavior for years. The courage of the young girls in speaking the truth where others wouldn’t has made our community forever safer. Now it’s their turn to get justice for the lasting harm Jordan and the Peninsula School District caused.”