Williamsburg Christian Academy Faces Scrutiny Amid Recent Coach Arrest and Campus Security Incident

Established in 1978, WCA serves students from kindergarten through 12th grade and operates as both a day and boarding school with an International Baccalaureate program. Located at 101 School House Lane, the school emphasizes Christian values alongside academics and athletics. Like many private institutions, it has generally maintained a lower public profile than local public schools—until now.

Former Coach Charged in Connection with 2019 Allegations

The most serious recent development involves Shannon Rebekah Meyyar, 47, a former soccer coach at the school. On or around November 5–6, 2026, James City County police charged Meyyar with four counts of taking indecent liberties with a child by a person in a custodial or supervisory relationship.

According to police, the charges stem from an alleged sexual relationship with a 17-year-old male student who was a member of the school’s co-ed soccer team that Meyyar coached. Investigators say the incidents occurred over several months in 2019, when Meyyar was 40 years old. The case was opened after an anonymous tip reached the James City County Police Criminal Investigations Unit.

Meyyar was taken into custody and is being held without bond at the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail. The investigation remains active, and authorities have asked anyone with additional information to contact them.

In a statement, Williamsburg Christian Academy said Meyyar worked as an independently contracted co-ed soccer coach during the 2019 season and coached intermittently at the school between 2016 and 2024. School officials noted that the first report of a possible inappropriate relationship surfaced only recently through the anonymous tip and emphasized that the academy is fully cooperating with law enforcement.

Handgun Brought to Campus by Elementary Student

Just weeks earlier, on October 16, 2026, an elementary school student—reportedly around 10 years old—allegedly showed another student a handgun concealed inside a backpack at WCA. By the time staff reported the incident, the student had already been transported to after-school care at BaePlex, a facility in neighboring York County. Deputies recovered the handgun there. Police stated the weapon was not loaded and no ammunition was present; no threats were made.

Two adults later faced Class 2 misdemeanor charges of allowing access to firearms by a minor. Both turned themselves in and were released on bond. The juvenile’s identity has not been released.

In response, WCA Head of School Mark Kirk announced new security measures. The school immediately required clear backpacks for all students (providing them for those who needed them), increased the frequency of locker checks, began inspecting backpacks on arrival, required athletic bags to be left at the main office for inspection, and added greater law enforcement presence on campus. Officials also stated that the student involved would not return to the school.

Parents expressed concern in local media coverage, and the school canceled classes briefly for staff safety training while affirming there was no ongoing threat.

• Defendant: Day, LaShawnda Mae
• Case #: GC26010176-00
• Charge: FA/AMM UNLOCKED IN RES W/MINOR (Virginia Code § 18.2-308.7:1)
• Offense Date: 10/16/2026 (the same day as the handgun incident at Williamsburg Christian Academy)
• Arrest Date: 10/22/2026
• Status: Released on recognizance
• Hearing: Arraignment scheduled for 11/10/2026 at 8:30 a.m.

This matches the Class 2 misdemeanor charges that James City County Police announced against the two adults in connection with the elementary student bringing a handgun to school. Police deliberately withheld the adults’ names in their public statements to protect the juvenile’s identity, which is why her name did not appear in news coverage.

LaShawnda Day (who is also listed as a faculty member at Williamsburg Christian Academy) is one of the two adults charged.

Authorities later named the two adults charged in the October 16 incident as Jathan Noell Day, 49, and his wife, Lashawnda Mae Day, 33. The couple faces Class 2 misdemeanor charges for allowing their child access to a firearm. Police recovered a BERSA Series 95 9 mm pistol, an Argentine-made handgun, from the scene. Both were arrested on October 22 and released on their own recognizance.

Broader Context

These two incidents—the arrest of a former coach on historical allegations and a recent weapons incident involving a young student—have placed WCA under heightened scrutiny. The school has stressed its cooperation with authorities in both matters and moved quickly on visible security changes after the October event.

No other major institutional scandals appear to be dominating recent coverage. An older civil dispute from 2016–2019 involving a student’s suspension after a medical episode and related lawsuits remains part of the school’s legal history but is not connected to the current events.

As the criminal case against Meyyar proceeds and the school implements its new safety protocols, Williamsburg Christian Academy continues to navigate the dual challenges of addressing past alleged misconduct and reinforcing campus security for its current students and families. Local authorities have encouraged the public to come forward with any additional information related to either investigation.