Lawsuit alleges deaf student sexually assaulted on school buses. What to know

The parents of a disabled elementary school student in Blaine have filed a lawsuit against two Washington school districts, alleging she was sexually assaulted multiple times on school buses. The suit accuses Blaine and Bellingham Public Schools of negligence and discrimination.

FULL STORY: Parents of deaf child sue Blaine, Bellingham school districts over bus assaults

Here are key takeaways:

• The lawsuit, filed June 18 in Whatcom County Superior Court, alleges the girl was first assaulted by an older student during the 2020-2021 school year. The boy was removed from the bus route, but the Blaine district never investigated, according to the suit.
• A second assault allegedly occurred this fall on a Bellingham Public Schools bus headed to Salish Sea Deaf School. The girl screamed, the driver intervened and Bellingham police opened a criminal investigation.
• Court documents allege the same student had sexually assaulted others on the bus as recently as June 2025. A court ordered a safety plan before his return, but the lawsuit claims none was put in place.
• Bellingham Public Schools spokesperson Jacqueline Brawley called the allegations “upsetting” and said the district “takes seriously our duty to protect and care for all students.”
• The filing came the same day Bellingham settled a similar 2024 case involving an autistic student allegedly assaulted on a bus. Brawley said settling was a priority to spare students the stress of litigation.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.