Former Evergreen Teacher Gets 66 Years to Life for Molesting Students

Jordan R. Henderson, 36, was sentenced May 8 in Pierce County Superior Court to 66 years to life in prison after being convicted by a jury last January of 12 counts of first-degree child molestation, specifically inappropriate touching, of four of his fifth-grade girl students over two years.

Henderson was a teacher at Evergreen Elementary School for 11 years and a deacon at Wellspring Fellowship church in Lakebay, where his father is the lead pastor.

“The defendant is an untreated sex offender who has shown no acknowledgment of his actions, no interest in getting better, and surrounds himself with people who don’t hold him accountable for his actions,” Pierce County Prosecutor Christine Dickson said at the hearing.

“To the victims and their families, it took tremendous courage to report this abuse, and even greater courage to testify in court,” Judge Alicia Burton said from the bench.

“What makes this case particularly aggravating is the abuse of trust,” Burton said. “I hope today’s hearing brings closure and some level of healing, if it has not already begun, and allows you to continue moving forward.”

The prosecution requested the maximum allowable sentence and that Henderson have no contact with the victims, their families, or his own children. The judge agreed to allow only supervised visits with his two daughters until they are 18. 

Henderson has been married for 14 years and has four children.

His attorneys plan to appeal the verdict and the sentence. They had asked for a maximum sentence of 16 and a half years.

Henderson was put on administrative leave Feb. 26, 2024, by the Peninsula School District after he was accused by three of his students of inappropriate touching or sexual abuse. He had worked at Evergreen since 2013.

The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office investigated allegations “which concerned boundary invasions, verbal statements, and potential touching,” according to PSD Superintendent Krestin Bahr in a March 15, 2024, statement to school staff and families.

Henderson was arrested April 18, 2024, and charged with nine counts of first-degree child molestation. 

He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment April 19 and was released on $100,000 bail and electronic monitoring. The court ordered him not to have contact with any children but his own. He was arrested a second time at the end of May after he reportedly violated his parole by having gatherings at his home with other minors present.

Investigators also said at the time they found pornography on his computer and other devices. He was banned from using internet-accessible devices.

The court increased Henderson’s bail to $750,000, which he posted.

Prosecutors later filed six more first-degree molestation charges after another student contacted investigators, for a total of 15. Two were dismissed during the trial, and the jury found him guilty on 12 of the remaining 13.

His bail was revoked when he was convicted Jan. 5 of this year, and he has been in custody since that time.

As he was being led away by deputies at the end of his trial, Henderson addressed the courtroom gallery. “I forgive you,” he said.

Witnesses told KP News it was a "charged atmosphere" of shouted support and anger. Supporters would not go on record to answer a reporter's questions during the trial or afterward, citing threats some said they had received. 

“As of July 1 (2024), Jordan Henderson is no longer an employee of the Peninsula School District. He has resigned his position,” Kris Hagel, executive director of digital learning for PSD, told KP News at the time.

The families of the students who accused Henderson are suing PSD for allegedly failing to protect their children from him. The lawsuit was filed Sept. 20, 2024, in Pierce County Superior Court by Darrell L. Cochran and Kevin M. Hastings of Pfau Cochran Vertetis Amala PLLC. 

“We believe that the school district knew, or at minimum should have known, about what was occurring, and that Jordan Henderson was a danger to these young girls and was actively molesting them at various times throughout the school day,” Hastings said in a statement at the time.

PSD declined to comment on the lawsuit. According to court documents, the suit seeks a jury trial by the spring of 2026.

Update: Two additional lawsuits were filed by the parents of the victims against PSD and two Evergreen administrators April 23 and May 14.