Former Oakridge School employee charged with sexual assault of student in Arlington

A former Oakridge School director of facilities was arrested last week on charges of soliciting a minor and sexually assaulting a student who attended the Arlington private school, according to a letter the school sent to parents.

David James Languell, 52, who worked as director of facilities at the school until 2020 and is the parent of a current student, faces charges of online solicitation of a minor and sexual assault of a child-forcible rape, Oakridge School officials announced.

Languell was taken into custody on two warrants for his arrest Thursday and was booked into the Arlington City Jail. He was transferred to the Tarrant County Jail on Friday and was released on bond Sunday, according to court records. It’s unclear whether he has an attorney.

The alleged conduct occurred with an upper school student after Languell’s employment at Oakridge School ended, the letter said. Languell’s employment began in July 2011 and ended in September 2020 for reasons unrelated to student safety, according to school officials.

“We could not make this information public during the ongoing investigation by the authorities until after his recent arrest,” said Matt Burgy, head of Oakridge School. “To the best of our knowledge, no inappropriate physical contact with any student occurred on the Oakridge campus, nor while The Oakridge School employed him.”

The Oakridge School has been cooperating with law enforcement since February 2022 after the victim made an outcry, when officials first became aware of the allegations, according to the letter and Arlington police officials.

“The school immediately investigated, to the extent we could, and provided Child Protective Services (CPS) and the Arlington Police Department with the results of our investigation,” Burgy said.

The school issued a limited no-trespass order to Languell in February 2022. In April 2022, the school partnered with the Arlington Police Department to issue Languell a no-trespassing ban from the campus to “ensure that he did not have any contact with any Oakridge students on campus.”

“We know this is very concerning to you as parents, as it is to all of us as educators. Oakridge has substantial safety protocols. These include an off-duty Arlington Police Officer, a campus security team, security software, and cameras,” Burgy said in the letter. “Prior to employment, employees undergo background checks. In addition, employees participate in training regarding Child Abuse and Sexual Abuse Prevention, and the school has appropriate safety policies in place. Oakridge has acted in the best interest of our students throughout the process to protect all of our students, and we will continue to do so.”

The school will continue to work with local authorities regarding the investigation.

This story was originally published January 24, 2023 at 2:31 PM.