Child rape victim files claim against Federal Way Public Schools
By Matthew Smith, Katie McDowell, and Mike McCarty - FOX 13 Seattle | Follow the link to access the online article
TACOMA, Wash. - After pleading guilty to child rape in late 2023, a former Federal Way school teacher is out of prison and in community custody, while his former employer is facing a tort claim that could ultimately cost the district money.
Glenfield Watkins, 66, is now a registered sex offender after pleading guilty to rape in Oct. 2023. He was given a sentence range of 12 to 14 months.
According to charging documents, Watkins repeatedly raped a 13-year-old student in his classroom nearly a decade earlier.
That victim, who is now an adult, asked FOX 13 Seattle not to reveal her name. However, she has broken her silence after growing frustration over Watkins' short prison sentence. He walked out of prison and into community custody in July.
"If I’m being honest, I’m disappointed," she said. "I’ve suffered for so many years. Why did he only get a couple of months?"
Last month, she filed a tort claim against the Federal Way School District accusing them of failing to prevent her abuse while she attended Totem Middle School.
A second victim, who alleged she was abused years prior to the case that landed Watkins in prison last year, has also filed a claim.
The two women’s lawyer, Cole Douglas, told FOX 13 Seattle he believes more victims will come forward given Watkins' long career within the district, and his access to students through his work as a coach.
The Federal Way School District responded to a FOX 13 Seattle inquiry about the potential civil lawsuit, stating they could not answer questions related to an ongoing tort claim, adding: "Student safety is and always will be our number one priority."
Watkins pleads guilty to child rape
After pleading guilty to rape of a child in the third degree in Oct. 2023, Watkins' lawyer argued for a 12-14 month sentence.
At the time, Watkins was 65 years old and his lawyers argued that his health was deteriorating, while noting that his absence was difficult for his wife of 43 years.
While Watkins pleaded guilty to a heinous crime, his friends and family were quick to argue for leniency.
His wife, multiple pastors, and family friends were among the eight individuals who wrote to the court as character witnesses.
Grooming in the classroom
The victim who was tied to Watkins’ Oct. 2023 charge told FOX 13 Seattle that she met Watkins at a vulnerable time in her life — she had difficulty fitting in, and experienced bullying while attending Totem Middle School.
Her sexual abuse, as outlined in her recent tort claim, began in 2014 and lasted until her freshman year of high school in 2017.
However, she told FOX 13 Seattle that the entire saga began with him paying special attention.
"People are making fun of me, bullying me, not being very nice to me," she recounted. "So when someone is finally being nice to me, I’m like, ‘Okay, cool. He’s like, really sweet. He’s nice. I can trust him.’ So then, that’s when I started being more open to him, and just hanging out with him more, because I felt comfortable."
That comfort would eventually cross lines, starting with a kiss — and eventually turning into an ongoing sexual relationship.
In a case summary filed in 2020, the King County prosecutor estimated that Watkins engaged in oral sex around 20 times inside his classroom.
It would take years until the victim fully grasped what had taken place, but years later, she has become fixated on the incidents that should have raised red flags, including an incident where a school official walked into Watkins’ locked classroom while she was underneath the desk with Watkins engaged in a sexual act.
"The administrator came in and asked, ‘What’s wrong?’" she recalled. "He was silent for a second, looked at both of us and he said, ‘Okay,’ and he walked out. But I swear, when he was opening the door, he saw me jolting up and me fixing my clothes."
She said so many people had the opportunity to ask what was going wrong, but failed to do so.
"If they didn’t know, they should have known," said Douglas. "In this case, we know the district was put on notice when a school administrator walked in on an act taking place."
A second victim comes forward
Douglas told FOX 13 Seattle that he believes additional victims will come forward, pointing to a second student that has come forward with her own story of abuse.
She accuses Watkins of squeezing her inner thigh and breasts, using sexually inappropriate language during class, and sniffing her hair between 2010 and 2011.
"Watkins began sexually molesting and assaulting [the] claimant on a regular basis inside his classroom and on school grounds," the tort claim reads.
Federal Way Public Schools doesn’t comment on legal claims against the district, but made it a point to issue a statement stating that student safety is the district’s top priority.
While declining to answer questions, a spokesperson wrote: "We can share that we hold all our staff to high standards and the highest of expectations. We take immediate and appropriate steps to address any situation that is brought to our attention, including placing staff members on administrative leave, calling law enforcement immediately, and cooperating fully with law enforcement when such allegations are brought to our attention."
Douglas told FOX 13 Seattle that given Watkins' 20+ years with the district, it's possible that more victims will come forward if they hear his clients' stories.
Watkins had access to children as both a teacher and a coach during his time with the district.
While his clients could ultimately sue the district and recoup money for their trauma that unfolded while students, Douglas also hopes that it changes how districts treat sexual assault on campus: "They’re sticking their neck out so they can ensure that kids moving forward are protected, that the proper policies and procedures are implemented and to assure that this never happens again."
