KENT COUNTY, Mich. — A Kent County teacher is heading to trial on two charges of sexual abuse of a minor dating back over two decades.
James Christians, 50, is accused of sexually assaulting a student at Crossroads Middle School, in the Northview Public School District, between the years of 1998 and 2003.
Christians was arrested in early February. He entered a not-guilty plea, and following his arraignment, the judge set his bond to $1,000,000.
He waived his right to a preliminary hearing in court Wednesday. He will go straight to circuit court. He maintains a not-guilty plea.
His lawyer did not request a bond reduction at this time.
Christians was listed as an English teacher under the name "Jamie" Christians on the Lowell Area Schools website. The district sent a letter home to parents, notifying them that a Lowell High School teacher has been placed on administrative leave, pending an investigation. The letter also informed parents that there is no indication that any misconduct occurred at Lowell Area Schools property or involving the district's students.
The school district did not name Christians as the teacher put on administrative leave in the letter to parents.
Following his arraignment, Lowell Area Schools sent home another letter.
"The safety and well-being of our students are always our highest priorities. Any allegation of misconduct involving a student is taken with the utmost seriousness. We are cooperating fully with law enforcement as they continue to investigate this matter. Lowell Area Schools’ investigation into the matter remains open. As a district, we are deeply troubled by these allegations. We value the trust placed in educators by students, parents, and our community," Superintendent Nate Fowler said.
The victim said she was 13 years old and in 8th grade when she began to meet up with Christians numerous times. The victim told detectives two specific times when she was assaulted by Christians. The alleged abuse happened both on school property and at the victim's father's home, court documents revealed.
The victim called Christians on Feb. 2, 2024, while detectives were monitoring the call. The investigators said that Christians made "references of something occurring during this timeframe" while speaking to the victim.
The following day, detectives from the Kent County Sheriff's Office interviewed Christians. They say that Christians admitted to two occurrences of abuse during the 1998-99 and 2000-01 school years.
The charges against Christians carry a sentence of up to life in prison, a mandatory lifetime of electronic monitoring and mandatory AIDS/STD testing.
Kent County Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young says the victim came forward after having conversations with her own child about speaking up when something like this happens.
"She was trying to teach her daughter to disclose if something were to happen and some of the things to be aware of. And it got to her, that this had happened as she was a young girl and didn't report it and thought it was important to report it,” said LaJoye-Young.
From there, the investigation began and led to the arrest of the 50-year-old former Northview Public Schools District teacher.
Northview Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Christina Hinds released the following statement:
“Northview Public Schools was informed earlier today of the arrest of a former teacher by the Kent County Sheriff’s Office. This individual last worked for Northview Public Schools in 2000. We want to assure our community that the safety and well-being of our students are our highest priorities. Upon learning of the investigation, our district has been working alongside the sheriff’s office and will continue to do so to bring resolution and closure to this situation. As this is an ongoing criminal matter, we are unable to comment further or provide additional information at this time. We understand the concerns that incidents like these can cause and want to reassure our community of our unwavering commitment to student safety. We will continue to work diligently to uphold these values and trust. We appreciate the understanding and support of our community as we navigate through this matter.”
Lowell Area Schools Superintendent Nate Fowler met with Lowell High School Principal Stephen Gough and school staff following the arraignment.
School administration said they have offered support to students as well as communicating with families regarding a transition to a new teacher.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Watch 13 ON YOUR SIDE for free on Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV and on your phone.