Three former affiliates of LifeWise Academy, the Hilliard-based religious release-time program that pulls public school students off-campus for Bible instruction during the school day, have been charged in Ohio sex crime cases involving minors over the past six weeks, according to court records and reporting by NBC4 in Columbus.
The three cases — involving a former volunteer in Perry County, a former teacher and pastor in Muskingum County, and a former teacher in Miami County — are not connected to one another, and law enforcement has not alleged that any of the misconduct occurred during LifeWise programming. A LifeWise spokesperson told NBC4 that all three men passed background checks before joining the program.
The charges surface as LifeWise, founded in 2018 by former Ohio State football player Joel Penton, continues a rapid expansion across Ohio. The nonprofit now operates in more than 260 of Ohio’s 607 school districts, including a newly announced launch at Tiffin City Schools, according to Develop Seneca County, the local economic development organization that announced LifeWise’s membership last fall.
Perry County volunteer pleads guilty to rape, sexual battery
William VanSickle, a volunteer with the Northern Local LifeWise chapter in Perry County, was arrested in mid-April and has pleaded guilty to one count of rape and two counts of sexual battery against a minor, according to NBC4’s reporting. Jail records cited by NBC4 indicate VanSickle had forced sexual contact with a minor over a five-year period between January 2017 and January 2022.
VanSickle is scheduled to be sentenced June 1 and is being held on a $1 million bond. A LifeWise spokesperson told NBC4 that VanSickle was removed from the program once the organization learned of his arrest and that his role was in a “limited capacity.” Court records indicate that the minor did not know VanSickle through LifeWise.
Muskingum County pastor pleads guilty to voyeurism, gross sexual imposition
Christopher Riggs, a Muskingum County pastor and former LifeWise teacher with the Tri-Valley chapter, has pleaded guilty to voyeurism and gross sexual imposition involving a minor, NBC4 reported. Riggs resigned from his LifeWise teaching role in November.
According to NBC4, court documents show Riggs’s misconduct was directed toward a minor teenager who was known to Riggs but not connected to him through LifeWise. NBC4 reported that Riggs appeared to be the only pastor at Washington Township Baptist Church before his guilty plea.
Miami County teacher held on $500,000 bond; sheriff seeks additional victims
On Wednesday, the Miami County Sheriff’s Office said it had received multiple rape complaints from minors involving Kenneth E. Holycross, who worked as a teacher with LifeWise Bethel Local in Tipp City from August 2024 to summer 2025, according to NBC4.
Jail records cited by NBC4 show Holycross is being held on a $500,000 bond on two counts of rape. Court records indicate Holycross is accused of forced sexual contact with a minor under the age of 13 between May 1 and May 19. Miami County Sheriff’s detectives said they suspect additional victims may exist and have asked anyone with information to come forward.
Holycross also previously worked at Dayton Children’s Hospital as a mental health technician, according to his LinkedIn profile cited by NBC4. WDTN, NBC4’s sister station in Dayton, was told by Dayton Children’s that “Kenneth Holycross III is no longer employed at Dayton Children’s. We are working closely with investigators and are not aware of any incident that occurred at Dayton Children’s.”
A LifeWise spokesperson told NBC4 that Holycross had “limited interaction with students” during his time with the program and that there was no indication his alleged crimes were associated with his LifeWise work.
LifeWise points to background-check policy
LifeWise told NBC4 that all staff and volunteers undergo screening through ADP Screening and Selection Services, and that all three men passed their background checks without incident.
“LifeWise continues to use professional background screening services as part of its broader child safety policies and procedures,” a LifeWise spokesperson told NBC4. “We remain committed to maintaining strong safeguards, accountability and oversight throughout our programs.”
The organization said in a separate statement that “the safety and well-being of students is LifeWise’s highest priority” and that it takes “all concerns involving student safety extremely seriously.”
The recent cases are not the first time questions have been raised about LifeWise’s vetting. In 2024, NBC4 reported, a LifeWise director in northern Ohio was fired after losing her teaching license over allegations she sexted a minor. She did not face criminal charges, and the misconduct was not flagged by LifeWise’s background check process, which was being conducted at the time by a different vendor, ProScreening.
Critics renew vetting concerns as program reaches Tiffin
The Secular Education Association, a parent-led national organization that began in 2023 as a Facebook group called Parents Against LifeWise, first connected the three cases publicly, NBC4 reported. The group has long argued that LifeWise’s screening practices do not meet the same standards as those required of public school employees, who must undergo fingerprint-based Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and FBI background checks.
The cases come as LifeWise continues to grow inside Ohio public school systems, including in Seneca County. Develop Seneca County announced in September 2025 that LifeWise had joined the organization and was “gearing up to launch its first program at Tiffin City Schools.” A 2024 proposal from a LifeWise steering committee outlined plans to serve students from Krout and Washington elementary schools, with classes held at the Chandelier Event Center and Restoration Alliance Church.
LifeWise reported revenue of more than $39.2 million in fiscal year 2024-25 and now serves roughly 60,000 students in 32 states, according to its most recent IRS filing.
