Married Christian School Coaches Accused of Abusing Teen Basketball Player
Police believe there could be other victims.
Clackamas County Sheriff
The former principal of a religious school in Oregon and his teacher wife have been charged with sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl on the basketball team they coached.
Now police say they believe there may be other victims, and are asking anyone with information to come forward.
David Alan Wakefield, 60, and Rachel Jean Wakefield, 54, were co-coaches at Damascus Christian School when the girl was allegedly abused between 2013 and 2017.
They were arrested after a grand jury indicted David on 20 counts of sex abuse and his wife on 11 counts—with the pair later being released on $100,000 bail. Their attorneys said in a statement that the Wakefields “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 has about 365 students in grades kindergarten through 12th and uses a Bible-based curriculum.
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In a statement posted to its Facebook page, the school said it was “heartbroken” to learn of 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 Wakefields have been in the headlines before for less scandalous reasons. In 2017, their college-age daughter, Ana, was nearly killed in a collision with a drunk driver, and her recovery became the basis of a documentary called Fight Like Ana.
David Wakefield has surrendered his education credentials. The court gave him permission to travel to Florida for his real estate business while awaiting trial, which has been set for April.
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