Federal Way schools settle sexual assault lawsuit for $15 million

Federal Way Public Schools has paid $15 million to settle a lawsuit filed by two women who allege they were sexually abused and assaulted by their teacher as middle schoolers.

Glenfield Watkins, who taught math at Evergreen Middle School in Kent, allegedly sexually abused the then-middle school students for years in the 2010s, according to court documents. The lawsuit claimed that the abuse and sexual harassment often occurred on school grounds, openly in front of other students and staff.

The lawsuit filed in King County Superior Court also alleges that Watkins, who is now 67, sexually assaulted both girls multiple times in his locked classroom with the lights off and windows covered.

In 2023, Watkins pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree child rape, relating to some of the incidents involving one plaintiff in the lawsuit against the school district. A King County judge sentenced him to 14 months in prison.

The Seattle Times typically does not name victims of sexual assault.

Since experiencing the abuse, the women have suffered from "extreme emotional distress" and other symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, the plaintiffs' complaint states.

Federal Way Public Schools spokesperson Jessica Morgan said that the district's highest priority is "the safety and well-being" of its students. She added that the $15 million settlement will be paid through the Washington Schools Risk Management Pool.

"We take these matters very seriously and take immediate and appropriate steps to address any situation that is brought to our attention," Morgan said in a written statement to The Times. "This includes notifying law enforcement immediately and cooperating fully with any investigation."

As part of the settlement, the district did not admit wrongdoing, said Cole Douglas, an attorney for the plaintiffs. He added that the district did admit to liability regarding the abuse under the state's anti-discrimination law.

Court records state that the district did so "in the interest of judicial efficiency," but that it was still in question whether the district's actions were a "proximate cause" of the abuse.

At the time the plaintiffs were in school, Watkins taught math and science to seventh and eighth graders at Evergreen Middle School in Kent, then named Totem Middle School. The district employed Watkins in various roles from 2003 to 2020.

The two plaintiffs in the lawsuit were students in Watkins' math class at separate times starting in the early to mid-2010s.

According to the complaint filed by the plaintiffs, Watkins would openly refer to the two girls with pet names in front of others; touch them during class; and sexually abuse and assault them after school hours while alone in his classroom.

In one instance, an assistant principal at the school allegedly entered Watkins' locked classroom to find the lights turned off and Watkins sexually assaulting one of the plaintiffs. The assistant principal left and did not report the incident to school officials or police, the lawsuit claims.

The plaintiffs' complaint also alleges that school staff were aware that one of the plaintiffs often visited Watkins' classroom after school hours. Front desk staff would ask her to bring Watkins' mail while on her way to his classroom.

The lawsuit was filed in January 2025, and the school district reached a settlement with the plaintiffs in January 2026, Douglas said. Both plaintiffs are now in their 20s.

Douglas said the district should have taken basic protections common at other schools to protect children from predatory behavior, such as not allowing teachers and students to be alone together while unsupervised.

"It's one of those things where it's like, if you just followed the basic policies and procedures, this never would have happened," said Douglas, an attorney for the Cochran Douglas law firm. "This never should have happened."

Watkins had a history of "inappropriate and predatory behaviors" that school officials became aware of early on during his career with the school district, the complaint alleges. Those behaviors included making sexual comments in front of students and school officials; displaying sexual behavior in front of students; and threatening to physically harm students with a two-by-four piece of wood that he kept in his classroom.

But the district did not act even with this knowledge, the complaint alleges.

"Instead of taking remedial measures, Watkins was permitted to have continued regular, unfettered contact with minor children at Totem Middle School for almost two decades," the complaint states.

"They failed to protect these girls when they had every duty and obligation to do so," Douglas said.

Evergreen Middle School has about 770 students enrolled as of this school year, according to data from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Federal Way Public Schools has paid out other, unrelated settlements in recent years. In 2022, the school district paid $5.25 million to the family of a high schooler who died from sudden cardiac arrest at a summer football practice.

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This story was originally published June 1, 2026 at 4:53 PM.