PORT ANGELES — A former private school principal and teacher charged with raping and molesting two students will consider a plea offer while his attorney prepares for trial.
Douglas J. Allison, former head teacher and principal at Mountain View Christian School near Sequim, is charged with eight counts of first-degree child molestation and four counts of first-degree rape of a child for alleged crimes that occurred this school year.
Defense attorney Harry Gasnick of Clallam Public Defender reported Friday that plea negotiations are “in the works.”
Gasnick told Superior Court Judge Christopher Melly that he would file legal motions and have his client examined as if the case were going to trial.
Allison, 55, has waived his right to a speedy trial through the end of August to give Gasnick time to review extensive investigative reports, witness interviews and other discovery.
“The flow of discovery has thinned to a dribble,” Gasnick told Melly.
“It hasn’t entirely ended, but I’m going through it faster than it’s coming in now. I’m gaining ground on it.”
Melly rescheduled the resolve/reset hearing for June 24.
Alexandrea Schodowski, deputy prosecuting attorney, requested the one-month continuance on behalf of Michele Devlin, chief criminal deputy prosecuting attorney, who was absent Friday.
“It would give Mr. Gasnick the time to file or investigate whatever motions he was looking into,” Schodowski said.
“Even though it’s not going to affect the plea offer, which has already been extended, I think it would put us in a better position if we actually know if we will resolve or be picking a new trial date.”
Gasnick said the bulk of the remaining discovery is recordings of Allison’s phone calls from jail.
Allison sat quietly in court Friday wearing an orange jail uniform and handcuffs.
He is charged with molesting and raping two female students, ages 10 and 11, during his classes while other students studied.
Each charge contains a special allegation that Allison “used his position of trust, confidence or fiduciary responsibility to facilitate the commission of the current offense.”
Allison was arrested March 29 after a Clallam County Sheriff’s Office investigation.
He was fired and replaced by the Washington Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, which runs the school, when the allegations surfaced.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
