A former Olympia teacher is facing trial on child molestation charges. Here's what court records show

Olympian - 5/8/2023

May 8—A former middle and high school teacher in the Olympia School District is facing trial on charges of sexual misconduct with a minor, child molestation and communication with a minor for immoral purposes, more than eight months after he was placed on leave and then fired from the district over a different situation.

Jonathan J. Moore pleaded not guilty to all three charges on March 7, according to court documents. A jury trial is scheduled for July 10. His bail was set at $25,000, which he posted the day after he was arrested in February.

According to court documents, the Olympia Police Department was first notified of the situation by a parent on Aug. 11, 2022. The parent said a friend's daughter, who is referred to as the "witness" in court documents, said her friend was being touched sexually by Moore. The student victim, who is now 17, said he was scared to come forward and go to his parents directly about the situation that had begun years prior, according to court documents.

An OPD detective contacted administration at Capital High School on Aug. 12, and learned Moore had been placed on administrative leave as a result of other professional misconduct allegations raised by students. The district fired Moore Sept. 15 for matters separate from what led to Moore's arrest, court documents say.

The case

The student victim spoke with a detective a few days later. He said it started when he was a student at Jefferson Middle School, where Moore taught digital media at the time.

When the student moved on to Capital High School, Moore did as well. He started teaching Visual Communications and Digital Design in September 2021. The victim said he and Moore began communicating through Skype and email, sending hundreds of messages back and forth.

The student said his relationship with Moore became sexual once he reached high school, and that their relationship in middle school was a "grooming" phase. He said Moore would demand he call him his boyfriend and tell him he loved him.

According to court documents, Moore would call the student every night at 11:30 p.m. and they would talk until 1 a.m. The student said he had to hide who he was talking to from his parents, and during this time he started to fail classes. He said Moore started doing his homework for him, and that he still doesn't know algebra or geometry because of this.

Court documents say the topic of sex first came up between the victim and Moore when he was in middle school. The victim was 16 or 17 when sexual acts began, when the two of them would be together at the school after everyone had left. He said none of the interactions were consensual.

The student said at one point Moore threatened to harm himself if the victim wouldn't leave his friends or have sex with Moore. The victim said their physical contact ended in December 2021, but they continued to communicate into the following year.

OSD's response

According to court documents, the high school conducted its own investigation, which included several reports from witnesses stating Moore would make inappropriate comments to them about relationships and sex. The reports state Moore would threaten to fire students from the school's KOUG TV program if they had any contact with the victim.

The Olympian obtained an email sent to families in February addressing the situation. In the email, Jefferson Middle School principal Jane Allaire said ensuring the safety of students in an educational setting is their top priority.

"The school district takes all allegations regarding risks of harm to students seriously," Allaire said. "We want you to know that we are fully cooperating with law enforcement regarding this matter."

She said the district has staff training on professional boundaries. She said Moore had passed his background check before being hired by OSD, and he had completed annual required training for the six years he worked for the district.

Allaire reminded parents that there are resources available on the school's campus, including counselors who can provide support. She said students also can reach out to her directly. And if anyone has information related to Moore's arrest, she encouraged them to contact OPD at 360-753-8300.

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