Parents of deaf child sue Blaine, Bellingham school districts over bus assaults
The parents of a disabled elementary school student in Blaine have filed a lawsuit against the district — as well as Bellingham Public Schools — alleging she was sexually assaulted multiple times on school buses in the 2020-2021 and 2025-2026 school years.
According to the lawsuit, filed June 18 in Whatcom County Superior Court, the girl was first assaulted by an older student during the 2020-2021 school year. Another student reported the incident, and the boy was removed from the bus route. However, the lawsuit alleges that the district never investigated the incident.
Blaine School District did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The girl was assaulted again on a bus on her way to Salish Sea Deaf School this fall, court documents allege. The bus was operated by Bellingham Public Schools, and also provided transportation to Fairhaven Middle School students along the route.
On the way to the middle school, a boy sat next to the student and sexually assaulted her, the lawsuit claims. The girl screamed, and the bus driver intervened. The district’s director of transportation informed the parents about the incident, and the Bellingham Police Department conducted a criminal investigation.
The same student had previously sexually assaulted students on the bus as recently as June 2025, according to the lawsuit, and the court entered an order requiring a safety plan before he could return to school. Court documents allege that no such plan was ever put in place, and Bellingham Public Schools did not conduct an investigation after the September assault.
The lawsuit accuses the Blaine and Bellingham school districts of negligence and disability and gender-based discrimination, as well as violations of the Equal Educational Opportunity Law.
Because of the assaults, the girl’s parents say she no longer feels safe on the bus and has refused to go to school. They’re asking for damages in an amount to be proven at trial.
Bellingham Public Schools spokesperson Jacqueline Brawley told The Herald that the district is aware of the lawsuit and called the allegations “upsetting.”
“Bellingham Public Schools takes seriously our duty to protect and care for all students, and we are committed to standing with victims and survivors of any type of sexual misconduct, harassment or assault,” Brawley said.
The new lawsuit comes the same day as the settlement of a similar case between Bellingham Public Schools and the parents of an autistic student who was allegedly sexually assaulted on the school bus.
The lawsuit, filed in June 2024, claimed that the district knew the assailant had a documented history of sexually abusing other children on the bus but did not protect other students. It also alleged that the district failed to report the sexual abuse to law enforcement or state child welfare officials, as is required by law.
The case has been dismissed without trial, and all claims against Bellingham Public Schools will be dismissed. The settlement still needs to be approved by the court.
“A high priority for all parties was to settle to avoid putting students through the additional stress of litigation,” Brawley said.
She said she could not provide the settlement amount, but said it would be funded by the district’s insurer.