Three Ohio men who either previously volunteered or worked for LifeWise Academy – a Christian instruction program for public school students – were either charged or pleaded guilty recently to sex crimes against minors, including rape, voyeurism, and sexual battery.
Christopher Riggs and Kenneth Holycross III were LifeWise teachers, and William VanSickle was a LifeWise volunteer.
“LifeWise has received zero reports of misconduct involving LifeWise students in connection with these matters or during LifeWise activities more broadly,” LifeWise said in a statement.
LifeWise confirmed each of the men was previously involved in local LifeWise chapters and all were recently charged with sex crimes involving minors.
“In each case, the individual completed and passed the required background screening process at the time they began serving, which revealed no disqualifying offenses or prior criminal history,” LifeWise said in a statement.
LifeWise Academy is a controversial Hilliard-based religious instruction program for public school students on “religious release time,” that operates in 34 states and enrolls nearly 100,000 students, according to its website.
LifeWise is a non-denominational Christian program that teaches religion to public school students during the school day at a special release time.
Religious release time instruction must meet three criteria: the courses must take place off school property, be privately funded, and students must have parental permission.
LifeWise is in 331 Ohio school districts — a little more than half of the state’s school districts, according to a LifeWise spokesperson.
LifeWise has many critics and parents have said their students have been ostracized and bullied for not taking part in LifeWise.
Holycross was charged with two counts of rape involving minors less than 13 years old earlier this month and is currently in custody at the Miami County Jail, according to the Miami County Sheriff’s Office. His arrest came after the county sheriff’s office received rape complaints against Holycross.
Holycross was formerly a teacher at the LifeWise Academy Bethel Local program in Tipp City.
He pleaded not guilty to both counts of rape on May 20.
Holycross is also listed as a part-time mental health technician at Dayton Children’s Hospital, according to his LinkedIn account. The hospital did not respond to inquiries about Holycross’ employment status.
Riggs pleaded guilty to voyeurism and gross sexual imposition involving a minor in theMuskingum County Court of Common Pleas on May 13 and he will register as a sex offender. He will be sentenced on July 1.
The crimes reportedly took place between June 1, 2023 through Sept. 23, 2023 and Nov. 1, 2025 through Nov. 30, 2025, according to court documents.
Riggs was formerly a teacher with the LifeWise Tri-Valley program in Muskingum County and was the pastor of Washington Township Baptist Church in Zanesville.
William VanSickle pleaded guilty to one count of rape and two counts of sexual battery against a minor in the Perry County Common Pleas Court on April 23. The crimes took place between January 2017 through January 2022, according to court documents.
He will be sentenced June 1.
VanSickle was previously a volunteer “in a limited capacity” with the LifeWise Northern Local program in Perry County.
“Any situation involving crimes against minors is deeply disturbing, and the safety and well-being of students is LifeWise’s highest priority.”
All LifeWise staff and volunteers go through background screenings, and students are not left one-on-one with an adult during LifeWise programming, according to a statement from LifeWise.
The Secular Education Association — the group that made the connections between the men and their previous involvement with LifeWise — is “deeply concerned by the cases,” they said in a statement.
In January 2025, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a law passed by Republican lawmakers that mandates public school districts create a policy allowing release time for religious instruction.
Originally published by the Ohio Capital Journal. Republished here with permission.