By Matthew Nash
Olympic Peninsula News Group
SEQUIM — Douglas John Allison, former principal and teacher at Mountain View Christian School in Sequim, faces 24 years in prison after pleading guilty to molesting and raping two of his students.
Allison, 55, accepted a plea offer in Clallam County Superior Court on Thursday.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree child molestation and two counts of first-degree rape of a child against two students.
Michele Devlin, Clallam County chief criminal deputy prosecuting attorney, recommended 288 months in prison — or 24 years — along with Allison losing the right to own a firearm and vote unless allowed by the court upon release.
Sentencing is set for 9 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 14, in Superior Court at the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles. If he is sentenced to 24 years and serves the full term, he would be 79 upon his release.
Devlin said victims and family members will read testimony at the sentencing hearing.
Judge Brian Coughenour said that because of the nature of the crimes, Allison cannot be released on bail, which previously was set at $100,000.
He will remain in the Clallam County jail until his sentencing.
Allison had previously pleaded, on April 1, not guilty to eight counts of first-degree child molestation and four counts of first-degree rape of a child. For each of the molestation charges, he was facing 149 to 198 months in jail, and 240 to 318 months for each count of rape.
Clallam County Public Defender Harry Gasnick said he went over the plea offer with Allison for an hour Wednesday and he felt confident Allison understood the agreement.
Allison spoke a nearly inaudible “yes, sir” when admitting to the four charges.
In his statement, Allison admitted to sexual contact and intercourse with the female victims, then 10 and 11 years old, starting in September 2015 during classes while other students studied.
About 15 people sat in the courtroom to watch the hearing. They included family members and Allison’s wife, Judy Allison.
Both were hired to work at the small private school in August 2013. Allison served as principal and taught grades 4-8 while his wife taught kindergarten through third grade.
Allison was arrested March 29 after a Clallam County Sheriff’s Office investigation, which began March 23 when the mother of the then-10-year-old reported sexual abuse to law enforcement.
He was placed on leave and eventually fired by the Washington Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, which is heavily involved in decisions at the school along with the school board and supporting church, Sequim Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Judy Allison took a leave of absence through the end of last school year.
Heidi Baumgartner, communications director for the Washington Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, said the school remains in operation and more details are forthcoming about the new school year.
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Matthew Nash is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing Newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. Reach him at 360-683-3311 or mnash@sequimgazette.com.
