Statements were issued this week by the Yelm Community Schools district and a levy-supporting organization following reports that Joshua Headley — who according to a court conviction groomed and sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl he was mentoring as a pastor at Auburn’s Northwest Family Church — worked on an independent levy campaign in Yelm.
Both Yelm Community Schools and Citizens for Support of Yelm Schools have issued statements on the controversy after recent reporting brought the activity to light.
Citizens for Support of Yelm Schools was among a long list of candidates and causes who paid for the services of Headley, who had been using a different last name — Seeley — to conduct business.
Background:
Headley’s offense was first reported to the Auburn Police Department in 2018, and he was formally charged with rape of a child in the third degree in January 2020. Despite the charges and a subsequent plea agreement — which dictated that he register as a sex offender — Headley filmed the Miss Auburn and Miss Auburn Teen pageants.
He operated through his business, Seeley Media LLC.
He pleaded guilty on June 22, 2022, though Nancy Backus, Auburn mayor, voiced support for Headley and asked the court for treatment for the man rather than jail time. Ultimately, Headley was sentenced to 13 months — though he’d only serve six.
Two months after his release in May 2023, Headley launched a new business, Seeley Media, with his name appearing nowhere on the state license — despite that under the Revised Code of Washington (RCW 9A.44.130) it’s legally required that sex offenders report any aliases to law enforcement within three business days of use.
Involvement in Thurston County
Seeley Media was hired to record pro-levy content for a local group now known as Citizens for Support of Yelm Schools. According to pdc.wa.gov, Citizens for Support of Yelm Schools paid Seeley Media LLC three separate times at values of $2,500, $1,000 and $699. He received those payments on Jan. 17, 2025, and Jan. 29, 2025.
Outside of his work with the levy group, Seeley Media LLC has also received payments from Rachel Grant, Thurston County commissioner, at values of $3,150 on Sept. 6, 2024, and $3,129 on Aug. 30, 2024. Additionally, Lacey City Council candidate Ryan Siu contracted Seeley Media LLC, and gave Headley’s company a payment of $300 on May 1, 2025.
A second Lacey City Council candidate, Maren Turner, also used Seeley Media LLC’s services and paid Headley out at values of $625 on April 13, 2025, and $350 on June 19, 2025.
Yelm Community Schools statement
Yelm Community Schools (YCS) issued a statement on its website, ycs.wednet.edu, on Monday, Oct. 27, titled, “Recent Media Reports.” The statement was signed by Chris Woods, superintendent, Denise Hendrickson, school board president, Casey Shaw, school board vice president, and school board members Debbie Edwards, Frank King and Bill Hauss.
“We have been made aware of recent media reports that have raised questions and concerns for many community members,” the district stated. “Your children’s safety and the integrity of our schools are our highest priority, and we want to be clear, direct and transparent about Yelm Community Schools’ actions and policies.”
Additionally, the statement said that YCS did not grant access to any outside campaign organizers or media producers to film on Yelm campuses. The district also reiterated that the levy group, Yes 4 Yelm Schools, which was organized separately as Citizens in Support of Yelm Schools, is an independent campaign.
“The district had no role in hiring or recommending any media firm or consultants they may have used, and we did not know who they engaged for promotional materials,” the district wrote. “Yelm 4 Yelm Schools did not submit or receive an approved facility-use request for recording at district campuses. The person identified in recent reports was never provided access to students or to any district campus. When district staff were informed of the intention to record, they clearly communicated that such activity was not authorized on school grounds and that identifying images of students could not be used.”
The district wrote it will remain focused on teaching and supporting its students “within the bounds of law and district policy.” For community members with questions or comments, the district office can be reached at (360) 458-1900.
“We regret any worry these reports may have caused and want to reassure you that we will continue to enforce our visitor, volunteer and facility use policies consistently and thoughtfully,” YCS wrote. “Any questions regarding the hiring of media and consultants can be directed to Ashley Brooks, Chair of Citizens in Support of Yelm Schools, at www.Yelm.org.”
Citizens for Support of Yelm Schools statement:
Citizens for Support of Yelm Schools issued its online statement at 11:46 p.m. during the late evening hours of Monday, Oct. 27, and wrote that the group is “deeply disturbed and disgusted” by the discovery that Jon Seeley (Joshua Headley) used a false name to conceal a criminal background.
“They were hired through an experienced campaign manager from Nov. 2024 to Feb. 2025 for that levy campaign. This deception was uncovered many months after the campaign concluded, and law enforcement has been contacted,” Citizens for Support of Yelm Schools wrote. “The individual's true identity, Joshua Headley, was not known to our team, and we had no knowledge of his history of criminal actions at any time during the campaign. His involvement was limited to short-term video editing and public content creation. He was never on school grounds and was never left unaccompanied while assisting with campaign materials.”
The group reiterated that its pro-levy campaign operates “entirely independently” from YCS, and that it understands that Citizens for Support of Yelm Schools was not the only entity “deceived” by Headley.
“We encourage organizations to implement stronger safeguards for all campaign-related work, including verification of credentials and background checks for contractors and subcontractors,” Citizens for Support of Yelm Schools wrote. “Our community deserves integrity, accountability and care.”
