Bellingham School District responds to student sexual harassment lawsuit

BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The Bellingham School District has responded to a lawsuit filed by the parents of a student who they claim was sexually assaulted on a school bus.

Attorneys for the district filed a response to the lawsuit on Thursday, nearly a month after it was filed in Whatcom County Superior Court. According to court documents, the district has either denied or refuted all of the allegations made by the victims’ parents.

The district’s response also referenced a Title IX investigation into the assault, which the district said “speaks for itself.”

The lawsuit alleges that the autistic 10-year-old student at Wade King Elementary was repeatedly sexually abused by a 9-year-old student on the school bus in the spring of 2023.

The student’s parents claimed the district did not take appropriate action.

When the lawsuit was filed, BPS Superintendent Greg Baker said the district takes its duty to protect and care for its students seriously.