Teen wouldn’t talk to Puyallup police about sex with teacher. Then he changed his mind

A former Puyallup Christian school teacher who police first investigated for having sex with a student in 2019 was charged with three felonies in Pierce County Superior Court this week after the now-21-year-old victim disclosed new details about the alleged relationship.

On Tuesday, Prosecutors charged 30-year-old Lindsey M. Westerfield, a teacher at Cascade Christian High School until summer 2019, with three counts of first-degree sexual misconduct with a minor, according to court documents. While one reported incident occurred prior to the victim’s 18th birthday, state law also prohibits sexual conduct between students under 21 and school employees who are at least five years older.

The investigation of Westerfield that began in 2019 was stalled for years without a full account from the student victim. Following Westerfield’s firing from the Washington State Charter School Commission this summer, the student victim changed his mind about cooperating with police.

Police arrested Westerfield at her residence in Centralia on Oct. 13, according to charging papers. She declined to make a statement and requested an attorney.

Westerfield is scheduled to be arraigned in Pierce County on Nov. 8. Pierce and Lewis County jail rosters do not show she is in custody.

The News Tribune was not able to reach Westerfield, who also uses the name Grip on social media. A LinkedIn account for Westerfield indicates she specializes in deaf education and American Sign Language services.

The Charter School Commission declined to comment. Cascade Christian Schools declined to speak about Westerfield’s case, citing the ongoing proceedings.

“As part of our commitment to maintain the best-possible learning environment we provide professional boundary training for our staff,” Superintendent Ken Friesen wrote in an email.

Charging papers give the following account:

Puyallup detectives began investigating Westerfield in early July 2019 after family friends told police that her husband, who was living in an RV on their property, made comments about Westerfield having a relationship with a student.

When contacted by detectives, the student, then 18, declined to talk about any sexual activity but admitted he had an emotional relationship with Westerfield and said she visited his house several times.

The Cascade Christian High School principal told police that Westerfield had resigned.

The Puyallup police investigation remained open without details from the student.

During that time, the student’s father told police the relationship had started back up and ended multiple times. At some point, the alleged victim dropped out of college to get a job to support Westerfield.

An investigator from the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction contacted Puyallup police this August after learning Westerfield was trying to get a job with the state Charter School Commission, which authorizes charter schools statewide. The commission’s website showed a photo and bio for Westerfield.

Last month, the OSPI investigator told Puyallup police that Westerfield had surrendered her education license and been fired.

A Puyallup detective contacted the student victim’s father the same day. The father said his son, who was back in college, might be willing to provide more details about Westerfield.

During an interview with detectives, the student described one sexual encounter with Westerfield prior to his 18th birthday and multiple others afterward. He also detailed to police the steps they took to keep their meetings secret.

He said he was “pretty horrified” looking back, realizing how a parent or other school officials would view the relationship. He said he blocked communications with Westerfield after ending the relationship in fall 2020.

“It just amazes me to the extent of how soon the boundary was crossed and I didn’t even realize it,” he said.

The student told detectives he wasn’t angry with Westerfield but felt a responsibility to report the alleged misconduct.

“It’s school. It’s not a dating pool, you’re there to learn. You’re vulnerable, your mind still has so much to learn and develop,” he said. “That’s the whole point of school.”